White Wolf Whispers
by diablosflame
Summary: Fujino Shizuru's latest book, White Wolf Whispers, has been critically panned and she is humiliated by it so she moves out to the small village of Fuuka where she meets Kuga Natsuki, a woman with a peculiar condition that may inspire Shizuru to pick up the pen once more. Can their new found love survive the storm that surrounds Natsuki, or will the cost be too high for Shizuru?
1. Chapter 1

**The Writer's Exile**

_It's time._

Kuga Natsuki rode her motorcycle down the dirt road, kicking up a trail of dust behind her as she gunned the engine. She knew that time was running out. The trees grew thicker around her as she neared her destination, a small cabin in the middle of the woods once owned by her family and that now sat empty and alone. She made the long journey out to this secluded cabin once a week, it had become something of a ritual for her.

She pulled up to it and stopped the bike, she dismounted and breathed in the cool mountain air before approaching the front door. She reached for the doorknob and inhaled deeply before opening the door. Inside the cabin looked like it had been ransacked. No piece of furniture was whole, everything looking like it was smashed to bits by an angry man with a sledgehammer. The walls bore scratch and bite marks gouged deep into the wood. The wall that had once separated the living room from the bedroom had been knocked down and the bedroom looked no better than the living room. No windows remained on the house, each opening had been boarded up to keep out the elements. It was just as she had left it seven days ago.

She removed all of her clothing, knelt down in the center of, what was once, the living room and inhaled deeply. It set upon her like a wave and, before she knew it, she had been consumed by the pain. It was the same way every time.

-WWW-

"I know, I read the article."

Fujino Shizuru was in a car driving down a long stretch of highway towards a small town she had never even heard of, her brown hair flowing freely out of her convertible. She was talking on her cellphone to her publisher, who was trying to convince her to return to the city. He wasn't succeeding. "They called it drivel. Drivel!"

She was fleeing the city and her publishers after her latest novel, White Wolf Whispers, was panned by literary critics who had admonished her work as juvenile and pure drivel. She took it as a personal slight which caused her current bout of writer's block. She hadn't written a word since the public humiliation. "No, I'm not coming back. I can't write anymore. It's over."

She mashed the hang up button and regretted that her dramatic gesture would never be known by the person on the other side. _Sometimes the old ways are better._ It was this thought that had made her buy a house in the small town of Fuuka, far away from the city and her shame. She thought she could start a new life far away, and as she spotted the town on the horizon she realized just how far away she really was. As far as the eye could see was open fields and even a forested area off to the east. The town itself was small, with only around two thousand people in it. It was a mostly farming community, and farmers, she would find, have relatively little to talk about.

She drove through the town and turned nearly every head with her red convertible and large sunglasses. Her new house was situated on the very edge of the town proper, so she had to drive another ten minutes to get there. When she arrived she was surprised to find another car in the driveway and a brown haired woman waving at her from the sidewalk. She got out and leisurely strolled towards her, pushing the sunglasses away from her crimson colored eyes. "Hi, Ms. Fujino, I'm Harada Chie with Fuuka Realty." When Shizuru gave her a look that said 'I don't know you', she sighed. "I'm the one who sold you the house."

Shizuru snapped her fingers and pointed at her. "Right. You, I remember you."

Chie's eyes narrowed and she glared daggers at the woman approaching her. "We talked on the phone, you wouldn't recognize me."

Shizuru stood in front of her and shook her hand, Chie handed her the keys to the house. "Whatever. Let's see this house I bought." Shizuru followed Chie through the front door and into the living room, a quaint room furnished with a sofa, two recliners and the flat screen TV she had had sent before her. She walked behind the woman through the kitchen and two bedrooms, each already full of her belongings including her four poster bed with white satin sheets, she had spared no expense on her bed, and her writing desk. Shizuru ran her hand along the desk and Chie took notice. "Are you a writer?"

Shizuru nodded. "Yes, I am. Well I was, I'm having a bit of trouble right now."

"Writer's block, eh? Well I hope you can get passed it. I have some houses to show this evening so I'll let you settle in."

"Wait." Chie stopped on her way to the door and spun on her heels. "Are there any good restaurants in town?"

"There's Mai's Diner on Main, she serves good food. Tell her you just moved in here and she'll give you a discount."

"Thanks."

Chie left Shizuru alone and she sat down in her writer's chair, picked up a nearby pen and slid a piece of paper in front of her. She focused, pushing all thoughts aside and letting her mind drift into dreams, but her mind wouldn't make the shift. Like a rebellious child it merely refused. She gave up after several minutes and swore, storming out of the house and to her car. She started it up and drove down Main Street until she found Mai's Diner, a small building wedged between a general store and a clothing store with room to seat merely thirty.

The inside was rather tidy and homely draped with blue and white silk curtains with tablecloths and candles on each table and a well tended bar. This is where Shizuru chose to sit and waited for a server. She looked around the room and noticed a few people were waiting patiently, mostly older people who's skin looked stretched and leathery from many years working their fields. From the kitchen she could hear a raucous noise. A red-haired busty woman walked through the door from the kitchen and approached with a plate of food in each hand. "Sorry, I didn't hear you come in. We're a bit shorthanded right now so it might be a minute."

The woman walked around the bar and handed the food to an elderly couple who nodded and thanked her profusely before diving in. The woman was heading back behind the bar when the doorbell chimed and an attractive woman walked in, blue hair a tangle on her head and a motorcycle helmet under her arm. Her emerald eyes passed over Shizuru and found the woman behind the counter, who crossed her arms and glared daggers at the newcomer. "Where have you been?"

The blue haired woman shrugged as she walked around the counter. "Sorry, I just got back into town."

The red-haired woman sighed, her voice as hard as the counter. "Hurry up, we've got customers still waiting."

The blue-haired woman walked through the door leading to the kitchen and Shizuru watched her walk through a window set in the wall. The redhead pulled a tablet out of her apron and set it down on the counter. She looked at Shizuru with a sarcastic look. "See something you like, Miss?"

She became aware that her eyes hadn't left the blue haired woman since she walked in the door. Shizuru smirked when she turned her attention to the waitress. "And what kind of woman do you take me for, Miss..." She looked for a name tag and found one pinned to her right breast, her eyes lingered a little longer than they should have. "Mai?"

"My apologies, I meant no offense." Mai returned the smirk. "And what can I get for you?"

Shizuru perused the laminated menu that sat on the table. She ordered a cup of green tea and an order of shrimp dumplings. As soon as she ordered the blue haired woman stuck her head through the window and said in a voice as smooth as satin, "Oi, we're out of shrimp. Pick something else."

Shizuru was struck by the sound. _Such a lovely voice._ Mai spun around and faced the window. "What do you mean we're out of shrimp. We had two cases the other day."

"They're gone. We used them up yesterday."

"Well did you look for more? Maybe there's a box in the back."

"I looked, damn it. Pick something else."

Mai threw a nearby towel through the window at the brunette. "Calm down, woman, she's a customer. Show some respect." Mai turned back to Shizuru with a renewed smile. "I'm real sorry about that, it's hard to find good help these days." She said the last part loud enough to be heard in the kitchen and she heard the brunette grumble from behind the window. "We seem to be out of shrimp at the moment. Is there something else that you fancy?"

_An interesting choice of words._ "Do you have crab dumplings? Those will be fine. Oh, and Chie of Fuuka Realty told me to mention that I just moved into town. She said it might be worth something to you."

"So you're the one who moved into that old house. The writer, eh?" Mai hit a few buttons on her tablet and the total cost of her order disappeared. "What's your name?"

"Fujino Shizuru."

"Tokiha Mai." They shook hands and Mai leaned over the counter, inadvertently drawing Shizuru's eyes to her chest. "So, what brings you out to our small town?"

"Why, for the women of course."

Mai smiled back at her with a playful look in her eyes. "And what kind of woman do you take me for, Ms. Fujino?"

Shizuru pulled her eyes away and looked elsewhere. "I meant no offense."

"None taken. So are you a small-time writer? Have you written anything I might have read?"

"Seeing as you're not that kind of woman, I doubt it. My books sell well but they're not best sellers. I make a living, though."

A bell rang from the window and the brunette's voice could be heard shouting "Order". Mai hustled over and took the ready plate, setting it before Shizuru with a smile.

"Thanks." Shizuru ate hungrily, she hadn't realized how hungry she was until the food was in front of her. She bit down on a piece and relished the flavor. _She may not show up on time, but at least the woman can cook._ She was so involved in eating that she didn't notice the brunette walk up, not until she slid a plate in front of her did Shizuru look up.

"Hey, ummm..." She seemed nervous, as if she weren't used to talking to people. "We actually had some shrimp so I made these for you. On the house, of course."

Her voice was much softer and more sultry than when she had been talking to Mai. Shizuru liked it. She smiled up at the woman while looking into her emerald green eyes. "Thanks a lot. I hope you didn't get in too much trouble over me."

She averted her eyes. "No, not more than usual anyway." Her face was passive and calm, almost somber, her voice seemed melancholy but hid an energy behind it that Shizuru wanted to find. She wanted to discover more about this woman. "Once again, I'm sorry."

She turned to leave, Shizuru tried to stop her but she reached the door at an almost inhuman speed and was through it before she could get a word out. "Wait, what is..." she muttered the rest, "your name?"

She ate the shrimp dumplings and drank down her green tea in silence. She couldn't explain why but she had a good feeling about this town. Her trepidations about moving had faded and all she was left with was a sense of adventure, of not knowing what lay on the horizon. She took her phone from her pocket and switched it to her notes app. She sat there and stared at the blank page until words started to form in her head, at first slowly then more quickly.

_She sprinted through the dark forest, her breath spreading a fine white mist on the cold night's air. Her legs start to burn and she can hardly breathe but she can't stop or it will get her. She hears a rustling in the trees above her and knows it him, he's close and if he catches her it's over. She jumps over an exposed root and nearly falls over, her blue hair flowing behind her like a river, her pale skin gleaming with sweat in the pale moonlight. _

_The wolf jumps from a branch at least ten feet over her head and lands on her back, pushing her to the ground. Her vision swims until she feels the bite. She screams and struggles against the wolf, managing to push it off of her, then scrambles to her feet. She runs and it does not follow, the damage is done and her blood running red on her gown is the proof..._

She looks up from her phone to see Mai looking at her strangely. She catches her breath and realized that she had been breathing heavily. "Are you okay? Maybe you should go home."

"Yeah." Shizuru shook her head to clear the rest of her daze and stood from the bar. "Thanks." She waved to Mai as she left, who waved back, then walked to her car. The drive back to her house seemed to clear her head. Once inside she set herself to organizing all of her possessions that still sat in boxes along her entryway. She opened the first box and found a dozen old books, first editions and works that had been out of print for years. The one on top was one of her favorites, a collection of works by Poe, her idol and the author who had inspired her to write. She held the old book and felt the cracking leather in her fingers, the yellowing pages nearly fell apart as she opened it and thumbed through the pages. As she slid her finger along a page it cut her, not deeply but enough that she nearly dropped the book. She held her right index finger up and noticed the thin line of blood that ran along it. _Ungrateful book._ She took the box into her room and set it on her bed, she went into her bathroom, took a paper towel and held it to her finger until the bleeding stopped.

She unpacked the box of books and another that was just beneath it when she felt fatigue and decided that it was a good time to stop for the night. She plopped down into her couch and searching for the remote for her TV, finding it buried in the cushions of the couch and turned it on. She didn't watch very much before she drifted off and sleep found her and while she slept she dreamed.

_The forest is dark and quiet, only the sounds of distant insects pierces the veil of night around me. The mist crawls quietly around me, chilling me and filling me with a feeling I haven't felt in a long time. I walk forward on bare feet, never knowing where I'm going except ahead. The dew on the grass beneath my feet is cold and slippery._

_The forest rumbles, a deep tremor that shakes the trees spilling leaves onto the soft down of the forest floor. I know it is close. I whirl around and it's near me, a wolf as large as a man. It stands on it's hind legs, white skin glistening in the soft light of the moon that hangs in the sky. Her eyes are emeralds, her gaze pierces me in a way that I have longed for._

_She growls and I can smell blood on her breath. I reach out for her, to feel her as if to make sure she is real. She is. My hand feels her soft fur as it runs through it and, for only a moment, those emeralds soften. I can swear she whispers my name, then the bite and the scream._


	2. Chapter 2

**Exes and Whys**

The moon fell behind the tree line and Mizutane Eri was working late, planting rice in the flooded paddies that surrounded his home. The others who worked the fields with him had already gone in for the evening but he still felt strong and his energy was high. He finished a long row and started on another when he felt the wind blow and stopped, relishing the moment of peace before returning to his labors. "Eri, what are you still doing out here?"

The figure of a woman appeared in the darkness, a figure that Eri recognized as Irri, a young woman who tended the main house and was fond of midnight strolls. Eri took a seedling from out of the bag he wore around himself and planted it in the ground, making sure to keep it even with all the others. "Just getting some late night planting done. You? What brings a maid out here at this hour?"

"I was just going for a stroll." Eri noticed the girl was dressed rather plainly, a pair of simple pants and a loose fitting shirt that seemed to flow around her slim body when the wind picked up. _If I was ten years younger._ "I usually enjoy walking at night, the peaceful and quiet air is soothing to me, but tonight feels different. It feels...wrong."

Eri had noticed it too, a sort of change in the air that boded ill. "You're right, Irri. I will plant this bag and head in for the night."

Her phone rang, a raucous sound in the dead of night, and she answered it. She walked back towards the main house and Eri returned to his work. He planted two more seedlings before he heard the sound. It rang over the fields and seemed to fill the air, a high pitched howl that sent a shiver down Eri's spine. He stood upright and looked in the direction of the noise, the treeline that was close to where he stood, and saw a figure step out of the shadows. It walked with a hunch and an awkward gait, like it wasn't used to it's legs. In place of a human head, a wolf's head sniffed the air, it's long arms ended in sharp claws that glinted like steel in the moonlight. It looked directly at Eri with cold, dead eyes and howled again.

Eri's heart skipped a beat and his feet turned and ran even before he consciously willed it. The beast moved quickly, running with an awkward gait, it's arms hanging low in front of it. Eri slid down the hill and ran for the house. The beast caught him before he could cross the field and struck him on the back, knocking him face down into the water. The beast sunk it's claws deep into his back and he screamed before the beast stuck him through the throat, silencing him forever.

The beast clawed at his body once, then again before it heard a scream and bolted back into the safety of the woods. Irri had been worried and was going to check up on Eri when she saw the creature. She ran for the cottage at full sprint and alerted the others, most of whom had laid down for the night. Four men armed with pitchforks approached the body of Mizutane Eri and confirmed that he was dead. None of them would sleep that night.

-WWW-

Detective Sugiura Midori lay comfortably in her bed with no thought in her head other than the warmth from the woman lying next to her, her committed girlfriend Youko. She pulled Youko closer to her and heard a groan, Youko never liked sleeping that close to her, always complaining that it was too hot. _She'll get over it. _She had just come off of a difficult case that had meant many sleepless nights for her and she desperately wanted that connection that Youko provided.

Her phone rang and she recognized the tone as her work phone. _Damn it all. Can't I get one day of rest._ She rolled over and reached for the phone, pleasantly surprised when Youko slid over to stay close to her. "Detective Sugiura here."

"Midori," the voice belonged to her supervisor, "there's been a murder at the Kamagato Farm. I want you on the case."

"I'm supposed to be on vacation, sir."

"I know that, Midori, but I need a seasoned hand on this one and you're the best I've got. I'll expect a report tomorrow."

The other line went dead and Midori closed her work phone muttering "Yes sir".

She rolled over and Youko nuzzled against her neck. "Another case? I thought you were on vacation."

Her voice was sleep addled and Midori found it adorable. Midori held her close for a few minutes before she sighed and got up from the bed and slid on a pair of jeans, a white t-shirt and her police coat. "I thought so too. There's been a killing at one of the outlying farms and the Chief wants me on the case. Says he wants a 'seasoned' hand on it." Midori rolled her eyes and leaned over to kiss Youko softly on the lips. "I'll have to take a rain check on our date."

"I'll add it to the collection."

Midori laced her boots up and stretched then made her way down to her car and started it up. She drove for nearly thirty minutes before she got to the place and pulled into the driveway, parking next to two other squad cars. When she stepped out one of the officers was waiting for her. "Detective Sugiura? What are you doing here?"

Midori groaned. _He didn't even tell them I was coming._ "I'm on this case now. What do we know so far?"

She walked with the officer towards the back of the house and out to the worker's quarters. "The woman who found him says she heard him screaming and ran over. She's saying she saw some kind of wolf demon kill him then leap into the woods. Obviously she's in shock."

Midori knelt next to the body lying face down on the ground, the wounds on his back looked to her like a dog attack with the claw slashes but the places he had been pierced looked unlike anything she had ever seen before. _He died when his throat was pierced, but with what? A knife?_

She stood and looked around the area. She noticed the dirt moved where he had slid down the slope and climbed up. There she found the footprints of both Mizutane and his killer. Both looked human, one a shoe print that must have been Mizutane and the other bare. She took a picture of both with her phone's camera then turned her attention to the witnesses. They were standing together near the worker's quarters, four men and a woman who looked distraught. Midori decided to start with her. She approached them and introduced herself. "Hello, I'm Detective Sugiura Midori and I have a few questions for you, mainly for you." She pointed at the girl. "What is your name?"

"Irri, Tamago Irri."

"Ms. Irri, could you describe for me in detail what you saw this evening."

Irri wrung her hands nervously, as if she were still shaken from the event. "I was out walking, because I'm fond of midnight strolls, when I noticed that Mr. Eri was still working outside. He was planting another row of seedlings so I walked up and asked him why he was out there. He said that he was working late then my phone rang so I answered it and walked back towards the main house. A few minutes later I heard a scream so I ran over and found this...creature standing over Eri. It looked like a wolf but stood like a man. It was terrible."

Midori wrote her testimony on her phone as she heard it. "Okay, what happened after you ran up? Did the creature run off?" Irri nodded. "Not much of a demon if he runs from a little girl. Could it have been a wolf that was standing on it's hind legs?"

"No, I know what I saw. It was a werewolf."

Midori wrote down the word 'Werewolf' in big letters, underlined it and punctuated it with a question mark. She turned to the four men standing near Irri. "Did any of you see this werewolf?"

"No. When she woke us up we grabbed whatever was at hand and ran out to find Eri dead. We called you guys and that's what we know."

Midori finished writing their statements into her phone then slid it back into her pocket. "Okay, we'll take it from here. You're all free to go but a word of warning. Don't talk about what happened tonight, the last thing this town needs is a story about werewolves killing people in the night."

Irri slyly put her phone back into her pocket. "Sure."

The four men agreed and all five went their separate ways. By that time the coroner had shown up, an aged man with spectacles and a bald spot, so she approached him while he was examining the body. "So, what do we have?"

"The cause of death is definitely the puncture wound through the throat." He straightened the glasses on his face and spoke without taking his eyes off the corpse. "The puncture wound is identical to the ones in his back, leading me to believe that they were performed with the same object. It's these cuts along the back that intrigue me." He ran his hands along them. "They were done with claws but on closer inspection you can see that the cuts are very smooth, as if done by a blade. I don't think it was an animal that did this."

"I found some footprints up on the rise that seem to confirm that." Midori led the man up the hill and towards the tree line where the footprints of both Mizutane and his attacker where clearly seen. "Mizutane must have seen him coming and ran down the hill. The attacker must have been really fast to catch him so quickly."

"Or he got lucky and didn't fall down the hill. It seems Mizutane did." He bend over to examine the footprint. "Hmm, only four toes. Interesting. It seems our attacker runs on his toes, see how the indentation at the heel is barely visible. I'll bet he has impeccable balance."

"Right, so we're looking for a person with four toes and great balance and who might be able to change into a half wolf, half human creature. We need more to go on than that. I'm going to head back to the office and start digging some things up. I'll expect a full forensic report as soon as possible."

"Of course, Detective."

Midori left the crime scene and made it to her car just as the sun rose over the horizon. She sighed and clicked her phone on, the background image was of her and Youko together at the policeman's ball the previous year. "After this case, I'm taking you on the best date of your life."

-WWW-

Shizuru woke up at daybreak and rolled over to look out her nearby window at the approaching day. She reached her hand out and took the phone she had laid on her bedside table. She flicked it on and noticed she had a message from Tomoe. **Call me. **_I thought I threw that number out._ Shizuru rectified her mistake and deleted the number then tossed the phone back onto her nightstand and stretched her limbs out of atrophy. She slid across her large bed and threw her legs over the side. When she ran her hands through her hair she found it tangled and in need of washing. She resolved to do just that and made her way to her luxurious bathtub.

The hot water made her sigh in pleasure as she slid into it and dove underneath to get her hair wet. She lathered her hair with shampoo from a nearby bottle and rinsed it out with the water before settling down and letting her mind wander. She could hear her phone ringing from the other room and ignored it.

_It's probably Tomoe again. I thought she'd get the hint when I told her it was over but she was always a persistent person. I do regret what happened between us, but I won't go back now. I came here to reinvent myself and that's what I intend to do._

Her phone rang again and she ignored it again, sliding further into the water until only her nose and forehead were above it. She found herself thinking about the blue-haired woman in the restaurant and a smile came to her face. "I'm going to ask her name today." She vowed to whatever gods inhabited her bathroom, stepped out of the bath and toweled herself off. She chose a simple red and gold sundress and sat down in front of her vanity to run a brush through her hair.

When she was done, and her long brown hair flowed in waves down her silken shoulders, she made her way to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of orange juice from the refrigerator then sat on her couch and turned her TV to the local news channel.

_A local man, Mizutane Eri, was found dead late last night in the fields outside of the home where he had worked for the last twenty years. He was found lying dead in the fields where he worked and where he was suddenly and brutally attacked by an unknown assailant. Rumors have been spread suggesting that the culprit may in fact be a werewolf, but the police have released no official statement at this time. Mizutane Eri is survived by his two daughters who live in Tokyo. In other news..._

Shizuru opened her phone and saw that, as she had thought, it was Tomoe that had been haunting her phone. She and Tomoe had known each other for a long time, and it had seemed only natural that the two of them had gotten together. Conversation had always been easy with her and she had always enjoyed Tomoe's company, but she realized in hindsight that there were glaring reasons that their relationship wasn't going to work. They had ignored them, however, and spent a few blissful months together before these issues came up, namely the fact that she felt no passion for the woman. Tomoe never excited her so after White Wolf Whispers flopped she abandoned both Tomoe and the city.

Her phone rang again and she resolved not to look at it, so much so that she tossed it to the other side of the couch and got up to find her car keys. She found them and headed out to her car determined to explore some more of the town that she found herself in.

She found two convenience stores, a clothing store and a few fast food restaurants but nothing that greatly interested her until she stumbled upon a small store with a wooden sign on the store that read 'Read my Lips' and so she decided to take a chance. Inside was a small bookstore run by an elderly woman who sat behind the counter and who smiled at her entry. "Hello, how can I help you?"

"Oh I was just looking around town. I just moved here."

"Oh, well welcome. I'm Yuuki Reiko and I run this little store."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, my name is Fujino Shizuru."

Her eyes widened when she heard the name. "Like the writer?"

Shizuru smiled. "I am the writer."

"Oh, wow. I didn't know we had a writer living here. Maybe you can bring some culture to our little town."

_I doubt that._ Shizuru smiled anyway and browsed the small shop, finding copies of three of her own books including White Wolf Whispers. She frowned at it and waved goodbye to Reiko as she left to wash the bad taste out of her mouth at Mai's diner.

It was after three when she walked in and was greeted warmly by Mai. "Hey, Ms. Fujino. I was wondering if I'd see you today."

"Call me Shizuru."

"Okay, Shizuru, what can I get for you?"

Shizuru sat down at the bar where she had sat down yesterday. "I really enjoyed the shrimp dumplings. Or are you out of shrimp today?"

Mai chuckled. "No, we're well stocked today."

Mai placed her order and Shizuru settled in to eat when a large man burst through the door and shouted, "Natsuki." He was heavyset with a thick beard that looked like it hadn't been trimmed in years. His brown eyes looked frantically over deep bags like he hadn't slept in a week while his hands stayed straight at his side like a statue. He wore mostly rags and smelled like he lived in a dumpster. Shizuru reasoned that he probably did. "Natsuki, I know you're here." He shouted again at the top of his lungs.

Mai rolled her eyes and shouted to the back. "Natsuki, you're boyfriend's here."

The blue haired woman, who Shizuru guessed was Natsuki, burst from the back room with an angry look on her face. "What the hell are you doing here, Takeda? I told you to stay the hell away from me."

She walked out of the door shouting at and shoving Takeda with her and Shizuru turned to Mai. "Is that really her boyfriend?"

Mai must have detected something in her tone because she smirked at Shizuru. "Wouldn't you like to know?" Shizuru gave her a look that said, 'Yeah, I would'. "No, he's just an annoying guy who's obsessed with her." She watched Shizuru's face closely to see her reaction and added, "He's fishing with the wrong bait anyway." She must have gotten the reaction she was looking for because she walked away with a huge smile on her face. Natsuki walked back into the restaurant and slammed the door behind her. She stormed around the counter brushing passed Shizuru and Mai spun around to face her. "I thought you got rid of him."

Natsuki's voice was full of barely controlled anger. "I guess not." She stomped off into the kitchen in a frenzy.

Her food appeared in the window moments later and Mai brought it to her. Shizuru asked her, "So what's the story with that?"

"That story's not for me to tell. Why don't you ask her? In fact, I want you to ask her." Shizuru's eyes widened. "Go to the back and talk to her. I bet she'll like that."

"Umm...okay."

Shizuru stepped into the kitchen and found it to be much cleaner than she had thought to find. She walked passed two walk in freezers and found Natsuki sitting in a chair in the back holding her head in her hands. She approached and Natsuki must have sensed her because she lifted her head and looked at her with surprise on her face. "Hi?"

"Hi." Shizuru was nervous, her shaking hands were proof of that. She fumbled around for what to say and settled on, "I know you don't know me but..."

"I know who you are, Fujino Shizuru."

Shizuru was surprised, and yet not surprised considering what Mai had let slip about her. It calmed her a bit, however, and she kept her poise, something she was never without. "Oh, then it's only fair that I get to know you."

"There's nothing to know."

"How about your name?"

"Kuga Natsuki?"

_A great name for a gorgeous woman._ "What was the deal with that guy out there?"

Natsuki looked down at the ground, like she was ashamed of what had happened. "It's a long story."

"I like long stories."

"Me too." Natsuki motioned at a nearby chair. "Take a seat." Shizuru slid the chair and sat right across from her. "It was years ago and I was an addict. It started with pills, they helped me with my...condition. After that I started smoking anything I could find, then to the harder stuff, cocaine, opium that sort of thing. I met Takeda back then. We used to hang out until he got into some trouble with these guys from the city so I drove there and bailed him out. He was being held in this warehouse by the pier by three guys and they were beating the shit out of him. So I drove up quietly, took out a baseball bat I had in the backseat and I knocked them all out and untied him. Now he's obsessed with me, and even worse all the drugs have made him crazy, screwed up his brain. But I don't do any of that anymore, so I guess it had a positive ending."

"That's a crazy story."

They sat together quietly for a moment, Natsuki trying to gauge Shizuru's motives and Shizuru happy to have learned something about the woman, even if it was strangely tragic. They heard a knocking on the wall and Mai's voice yelling, "Hey, break's over Natsuki. We've got customers."

Natsuki sighed as she lifted herself off the chair and Shizuru did the same. "Thanks for talking with me. I feel better now."

"I'm glad."

Natsuki returned to the kitchen and Shizuru sat back down to her now cold food. She ate it grudgingly, only because she felt hungry and didn't want to order anything else. She heard a snippet of conversation involving murder and a wolf and turned her attention to a couple that were sitting in a booth behind her, an older man and his wife.

"It was all over the news today." The man was saying. "But I heard it from Mina, you know my secretary, and she said that it was a werewolf that attacked that poor man."

"A werewolf?" The wife now, sounding distraught for, what seemed to Shizuru, like no reason.

"That's right." The man again. "They've started calling it the Wolf of Fuuka. One of the girls who works on that farm saw it with her own eyes. Said it mauled that man then ran off when she showed up."

_Not much of a werewolf if it runs from little girls._

"The whole town is talking about it. The cops are out looking for it but they're looking in the wrong places. They still think he was killed by a human, but some of those guys that saw the victim's body said no human could have done what that beast did."

"Scary, and here in our little town?"

"Werewolves. What's next, Godzilla?" Mai approached and leaned against the counter in front of Shizuru. "People get worried over the dumbest things, don't they? They should be worried that there's a person out there killing people, but they're worried about some myth. Nonsense." She changed the subject quickly. "So, how did it go? Did you and Natsuki hit it off?"

"Like two peas in a pod. The wedding's on Sunday and you're the best man."

Mai laughed a mocking laugh. "I'll have to get fitted for a tuxedo, then." her expression turned serious. "Did she tell you about Takeda?"

"Yeah, and I feel kind of bad for him. Falling in love with a woman he can never have." _Kind of like Tomoe in that sense._

"Don't feel bad for him, he dug his own grave a long time ago. Now there's nothing left of him but his obsession. It's a dark thing."

_Maybe I should call her, let her know I'm okay. But what if that makes it worse? What if she blows up and becomes some nutjob like that Takeda person? _

"I had a feeling she would open up to you."

Shizuru remembered that Natsuki had said that she knew her. She asked Mai with an accusing tone, "You're hiding something, aren't you?"

Mai put her hands up in a show of innocence. "I don't know what you're talking about. Besides, I'm a busy woman who doesn't have time to chat."

Shizuru finished what was on her plate and reached for her wallet to pay Mai for the food. Mai waved her off, saying that talking to Natsuki was payment enough for her. As Shizuru walked towards the door she gave a weak wave towards the kitchen window and wondered if the blue-haired woman had seen it. She had.

When Shizuru got home she kicked off her shoes and sprawled across the couch, reaching for her phone and thumbing it open. Tomoe had called no less than ten times and she felt a little bad for the woman, followed by a lot of annoyance for all the missed calls. She pressed redial and pressed the phone to her ear. It rang only once before it was answered. "Shizuru?"

"Yeah, Tomoe, it's me. How are th..."

"Why have you been ignoring me all day? Don't you know I've been trying to call you?" Tomoe's voice was frantic and angry and a vein in Shizuru's head began to throb. "Why the hell did you run away, Shizuru? I thought we would at least stay friends, but now I can't call you or see you and you ignore my messages..."

"I'm..."

"You're what?" Tomoe's voice nearly broke. "You're sorry?"

"Yeah, I'm sorry I called you."

Shizuru hung up the phone and threw it across the room in an uncharacteristic show of anger. _I knew it was going to be like this but I had to try._ She sat down with a bucket of ice cream and watched a movie on the satellite dish that had been installed while she was out. When she finally went to bed she did so with a clear head; no Tomoe, no White Wolf Whispers, no strange man in the diner, no werewolf killing people in the night, no thoughts at all. She slept soundly.


	3. Chapter 3

**Healing Factor**

Natsuki woke up in the morning and stretched herself off of the couch that she lay on. She picked herself up off the ground and cracked her neck, trying to remember why she'd been sleeping on a couch. It came to her suddenly when she looked around and realized she was in a room above the bookstore, 'Read my Lips'. _I must have stayed at Nao's house again last night._ She noticed that she still had her clothes on and remembered that the two of them had gone drinking the previous night.

She stood up and rubbed her temples against the pounding headache she had woken up with. She stumbled her way to the refrigerator and found some orange juice. She poured herself a glass promising to replace it later and sat down on the couch until the world came back into focus. She looked around the familiar room, it looked much the same as it had the past few years since she had met Yuuki Nao. The entertainment center with the old standard definition TV was still sitting in the same corner across from the couch, a dresser behind the couch was covered in photo frames and pictures of Nao as a child as well as her parents, who had been lost in a car accident when she was seven, and Nao's grandmother Yuuki Reiko who ran the bookstore.

She was looking around when the door to one of the bedrooms opened and Yuuki Nao stepped through, her shoulder length red hair damp from the shower she had just taken. She wore a pair of shorts and a tank top and was running a towel over her hair. "Morning."

"Morning."

Nao opened the fridge and pulled out the container of orange juice that Natsuki had just drank from. "What the hell? Did you drink all the damn orange juice?"

"There's still some left."

Nao popped the cap off and drank the remainder of it in one swallow. "Yeah, like two drops."

"I'll get you some more."

"Right now? Because I'm thirsty." Natsuki lay down on the couch and threw her arm over her eyes. "Hey, I'm talking to you."

"I know, it's really annoying."

"You bitch." Nao walked over to the couch and pushed her legs aside, half knocking Natsuki off the couch. Natsuki straightened herself out while Nao sat down next to her with a grin. "You're a terrible guest, you know."

Natsuki looked for her phone and found it still in her back pocket where she always carried it, she turned it on and was surprised to see that it still had battery power left. She checked the time, 10:30. "I've got to get home and shower before my appointment with Dr. Sagisawa."

Nao reached next to her for the remote to the TV and switched it on, changing the channels until she found something interesting on. "I don't see why you go to that shrink anyway. What does she do for you?"

"It's hard to explain." She had been seeing Dr. Sagisawa for many years and in those years she felt that Youko had a deeper understanding of her than anyone she had ever met. She had even opened up to Youko about her condition and her reaction had been mild, chalking the crazy story up to wild fantasies and reckless imagination. Natsuki never spoke about it after that. "She gets me, you know."

"What, and I don't?" In the time that they had known each other, Nao and Natsuki had become very good friends. There was always a barrier, though, that Nao seemed to hit whenever she tried to get to know Natsuki better. It seemed to trigger whenever she was asked about her past. Natsuki would clam up and hide herself away. Nao didn't really care, the brunette was fun to be around and good to have in a fight. "I'm just saying, it's a waste of your time and money."

"I'm still going, no matter what you say."

"You're a grown-ass woman, do what you want."

Natsuki got up to find her shoes and found them near the front door where she most likely tossed them when they got to the place the previous night. She sat back down on the couch and laced up her boots, tying them tightly as she liked to do. When she got up to leave Nao followed her.

She walked down the old wood stairs to the ground floor, her boots clomping hard on every step. Nao's naked footsteps were silent. She walked out into the store proper and overheard a woman at the front counter. "Are you expecting any in soon?"

Nao's grandmother responded. "Yes, we're expecting a box to come in later this week. I'm sorry but demand has gone up for this book recently. I can put you on the list if you'd like, just leave your name and number and we'll call you when they come in."

"Sure, that's fine."

She wrote some in a book that sat on the counter and left in a hurry. Nao walked up to the counter after the woman left. "Hey, grandma, what was that about?"

"Oh, good morning Nao." Reiko noticed Natsuki walking up behind Nao. "Good morning, Natsuki." Natsuki smiled and waved, she had always liked Ms. Yuuki, and Reiko turned back to her daughter. "It seems like the whole town is after Ms. Fujino's book after the rumors of werewolf attacks. I can't keep them in stock right now." She looked at Natsuki, who had walked up beside Nao. "You have one, don't you?"

Natsuki did have a copy of White Wolf Whispers, a first-edition limited print that she had gone out of the way to find and had paid top dollar for. "I do."

"You could make some good money selling it right now. Some of these people are paying double what the book is worth."

Inwardly she balked at the idea, the book was one of her most prized possessions. She waved her hands in front of her in the universal sign of No. "I couldn't sell it, it means too much to me."

"That's right, you're a fan of hers aren't you?" Though she phrased it like a question Reiko meant it as a statement. "So, have you seen her yet? You know she moved here right?"

"I know, I see her at work. She comes by the diner just about every day."

Nao smirked at Natsuki, a look that irked the brunette. "Have you talked to her yet?"

Natsuki's lip curled into a snarl at the remark. "As a matter of fact, yes I've talked to her. She's really nice."

"Did she remember you?"

Natsuki ignored the question, instead she looked at her phone and noted the time. "I've got to go or I'm going to be late. Bye." She waved at Reiko who waved back and ignored Nao who cursed at her before returning upstairs to her couch and TV.

Natsuki found her motorcycle parked outside of the bookstore, presumably, where she had left it the night before. Her helmet was tied to the back of the seat and she fitted it to her head before mounting the machine and starting it up. She enjoyed the rumble of the engine and the feel of speed as she hit the accelerator and the bike spun down the road. It was ten minutes back to her house, a small house that looked like it would fall down if you leaned on it that sat between two large apartment buildings, and walked in. The house was only sparsely furnished, only one chair and TV filled the main room and she only had enough dishes for herself. She shed her clothes as she crossed the room and to her bathroom, where she took a cold shower and picked out a new pair of jeans and a shirt to wear.

She got to the office just a few minutes before her appointment, the secretary recognized her and waved her into the office where Dr. Sagisawa was finishing up with her previous appointment. "You see, once you understand yourself everything becomes clearer. That's all the time we have for today, so I'll see you next time." Natsuki walked in and passed the man as he left, nodding her head as he passed her, then took the seat he had vacated. "I was wondering if I would see you today. I keep thinking that you're going to get tired of our little talks." Natsuki shrugged and pursed her lips. "So, how are you feeling today?"

"I'm good, Youko." Dr. Youko Sagisawa had been assigned as her therapist following the incident where she lost her parents when Natsuki was merely a child. Natsuki had been coming in regularly since then, and Natsuki had become more than a patient to her, she had become a friend. "How is everything with the detective?"

"I'm not the right person to ask about that, I hardly get to see her anymore. She's so busy with this new case, have you heard about it?" Natsuki shook her head. "You didn't hear this from me but people are saying that a werewolf attacked a man at one of the outlying farms and killed him. An eyewitness saw the beast with her own two eyes. Of course Midori thinks it's all a hoax and I'm inclined to believe her. She's quite furious that the werewolf story has spread so far, it's making her own investigation harder."

Natsuki was only half listening to Youko, her mind was busy placing herself at the time of the killing. _I don't think I've changed recently. Or maybe I have and I just don't remember. No, no that doesn't make sense, I would remember something like that. I've remembered all the other times I've changed._ Youko noticed that Natsuki was a bit lost in thought. "Anyway, enough about me, what about you? How have you been doing with controlling your anger?"

Natsuki shook the wolf thoughts from her head. "I don't really get angry anymore, after working all day I just don't have the energy to be mad. Plus I don't really go out anymore." Natsuki had changed a great deal over the last few years and she recognized it. Where before she wanted to party all night, now she preferred a quiet night in her house; where before she would fight at any provocation, now she found herself walking away from those types of situations; where before she only wanted sex, now she found herself wanting a deeper connection, wanted to exchange something more than physical with someone. She wanted love.

Youko set the notebook that was in her lap on the desk nearby and she leaned forward with her elbows on her knees. "Natsuki, I've known you since you were a little girl, I still remember when you first came into my office and how you were angry because everyone kept saying they were sorry to you. You kept yelling at them that you didn't want them feeling sorry for you." Youko smiled thinking about the young Natsuki and her transformation into the woman that sat before her. "Since then you've grown so much, into a beautiful and talented woman. What I'm trying to say is, I don't think you need to be coming here anymore. This is our last session like this."

Natsuki's face showed a measure of surprise tempered by her practiced stoicism. "Oh. I see."

"I think it's for the best." Youko wiped her eye with one of her hands. "It's like I'm sending you out into the world. This is the closest I'll get to having a daughter."

Natsuki smiled and spent the next thirty minutes catching up with Youko, afterwards she said goodbye to the doctor and left the office. She checked the time on her phone and noticed she had to be at work in ten minutes. _Crap, I'm going to be late._

She kicked her motorcycle into gear and rode as fast as she dared and made it to the diner in five minutes with time to spare. She parked in her usual spot behind the building and walked inside to find the place mostly empty and Mai twiddling her thumbs at the counter. Natsuki walked passed her and into the kitchen, donned an apron from the pile of clean ones and washed her hands at the sink in the back. She sent the morning cook home and walked back up to the front to talk to Mai. "Has it been busy today? It doesn't look like it."

"No, it's been dead all day. I've been bored to death in here."

Natsuki leaned against the counter and exhaled. "I went to my last session with Dr. Sagisawa today."

"Really? Did she finally give up on you?" Mai smirked at Natsuki's annoyed response, it was the most exciting thing to happen to her all day. "It's about time."

Natsuki muttered under her breath, "Stupid", then walked to the back just as the door opened and a man walked in wearing a sharp black suit with hair that was blonde on top and brown on the bottom and made Natsuki think that he was worthless.

Mai didn't share Natsuki's opinion. "Yuuichi, how are you today?" Her voice was warm and friendly, even more so than usual seeing as she had the hots for him. "Sit down and talk to me, I've been lonely today."

Natsuki gagged while leaning against the freezer door. She could hear him ask, "Is nobody else here but you?"

"No, there's a cook somewhere in the back. Natsuki." Mai called and Natsuki stuck her head through the window. "There she is. Yuuichi this is Natsuki. I'm the boss of her."

"Until I quit this dump."

Natsuki pulled her head back through the window and deftly dodged the towel that was thrown at her in the next instant. "Don't mind her, she's got a few screws loose. Even her therapist won't see her anymore." Mai leaned over the counter and, predictably, Yuuichi's eyes journeyed down to her chest and stayed there. "What can I get you today?"

He gulped and Natsuki rolled her eyes. _Looks like she got another one._ Yuuichi ordered the shrimp dumplings and Natsuki set to making them. _That's the same thing as Shizuru orders. Maybe I should make two orders so they'll be ready when she gets here._ Natsuki prepared two orders of the shrimp dumplings and tossed only one into the steamer on top of the grill. While they cooked she listened to Mai and Yuuichi's conversation.

"How's work going? Didn't you just get a promotion?"

According to what Natsuki knew about him, Yuuichi Tate had been born in Fuuka and had gone to school with Mai. When he turned twenty Yuuichi made the decision to leave Fuuka to become a police officer. He spent the next ten years climbing the ranks until he returned years later as a detective.

"Not a promotion exactly." Yuuichi scratched the back of his head nervously. "I got assigned to a partner. Detective Sugiura Midori, she's kind of a hardass."

_That's Youko's girlfriend._ "That must be tough. Are you working on any big cases right now?"

"Me and Midori...I mean Detective Sugiura and I are working on the werewolf case." He winced. "Don't let her hear you call it that though. It irritates her, especially since we can't disprove the stories right now. We don't have many leads and she's starting to get really frustrated with it." He sighed and Natsuki looked down and noticed the dumplings were done and about to burn. She quickly took them out of the steamer and slid them on a plate on a bed of rice then set them on the counter. Mai noticed and slid the plate to Yuuichi with a flair that she only seemed to reserve for him. "I'm starting to believe this werewolf paranoia myself, that crime scene was pretty brutal."

_It couldn't have been me. I've remembered every other time. Why would I forget now?_ Natsuki's mind was whirling while trying to remember something that she might have forgotten, anything that she might be repressing for whatever reason. Nothing ever came to her. Before she knew it Yuuichi had left and her shift was over, the store was closing. She cleaned the place up and went to clear the prep table and noticed the shrimp dumplings she had made were still there. _She didn't show up today._

When she was done she headed for the front door and met Mai there. Mai must have noticed something about her mood because she commented, "Don't worry, I'm sure she'll be here tomorrow."

"I'm off tomorrow."

That was all she said as she left the restaurant behind and headed for her motorcycle. _I wonder if Nao's at the bar, I could use a drink._ She kicked the bike on and took her time driving to the bar, the White Stallion, enjoying the cool wind in her hair and the fresh air that could only be found in the country. She arrived at the bar and parked near the entrance in a section specifically for motorcycles. She could feel the pounding bass from the music as she walked through the saloon style double doors and made for the bar at the back of the place. She could feel eyes upon her as she crossed the floor, looks that were wasted time for the people behind them. Natsuki didn't care about them.

She ordered her usual drink, whiskey and soda, and was drinking it when she heard her name from across the room. She looked over and saw Nao standing in a doorway motioning for her to join her. She walked across the dance floor, carefully avoiding bumping into people, until she was standing in front of Nao who led her down a hallway and into another room in the back. Inside around ten men were seated around a large table playing cards. Two seats sat empty and Natsuki took the one next to Nao, took out her wallet and tossed a bill from it onto the center of the table and took a set of chips. She waited until her hand was dealt and looked at her cards. _Terrible, why do I let Nao talk me into this crap._ She took a long pull from her drink, this was going to be a long night.

-WWW-

Midori sat at her desk long after the sun went down, poring over various pieces of data that were related to the now infamous 'Werewolf' case as the press was calling it. She was furious at that but now that it had been leaked there was very little she could do to stop it. She was reading through the autopsy report on the victim when she saw Yuuichi Tate approach out of the corner of her eye. "Hey, Detective Sugiura, I've found something interesting."

"It's Midori, rookie. Show me." Yuuichi walked over and set a file folder down on her desk, the tab said Fujino, Shizuru. "I was looking over a list of the people who have moved into town recently and I noticed her."

"Who is she?" Midori opened the file and saw a picture of a handsome brunette woman looking back at her, with light brown hair and crimson eyes she would definitely stand out in a crowd.

"She's a writer from Osaka who moved here recently, I heard it was because her latest book was panned. The book is called White Wolf Whispers and is a story about a werewolf. The book didn't sell too well before, but since this werewolf business the local bookstore can't keep any copies in stock and people are paying nearly double what the book is worth right now. I got to thinking that it can't just be a coincidence."

"You're right, nothing is coincidence. Good eye, rookie." She browsed through the file and found it light, no history of violent crime or any crime for that matter. The only time the police had ever been called on her was a noise complaint when she lived in Osaka. Apparently she had been fighting with her girlfriend quite loudly and the police were called in but the issue had been resolved before any action needed to be taken. _Still no history of violent crimes, there's no way this woman did it._

As if echoing the thoughts in her head, Yuuichi responded, "There's no way she did it, though."

"No, but she might know something about it. For all we know this isn't the first time that something like this has happened to her. Hell, she might even know who's doing it. We can't rule anything out right now, not when we have nothing solid about this guy. We'll go question her in the morning." Midori looked up at Yuuichi and he looked taken aback. "What? Do I have something on my face?"

"You look terrible, Midori. You should go home and rest."

Midori downed the rest of her coffee mixed with some gin, "I'll rest when this case is over and I'm sitting on the beach with a mai tai in my hand and Youko in my lap."

Yuuichi chuckled. "That sounds like a plan. I'm going to take my own advice and head home. Don't stay up too late."

Yuuichi walked away and Midori set her head down on her desk to 'rest her eyes'. A minute later she was fast asleep.

-WWW-

Natsuki was happy with how she was doing. Her hands had been nothing to write home about but she had played them well and ended up ahead of where she had started. Nao, on the other hand, was on a winning streak and no one was able to stop her. Several of the men around the table were cursing under their breath and Natsuki got a bad feeling. She had dropped out of the hand so she watched as two of them called Nao and were soundly defeated by her full house, jacks over nines. One of them stood, having lost all his chips, and shouted, "That's crap. She's cheating."

Nao stood slowly, she took such accusations very seriously. "The hell I am. It's not my fault you stink at cards. Go home and cry to your ugly ass wife and moron son about how much you suck."

He shouted "You bitch" and pulled a knife. He tried to dive across the table but Natsuki grabbed his knife hand and twisted, pulling him to the table. She pinned him and took the knife away. He swung with his free hand and caught Natsuki on the jaw. She didn't budge and his hand went away hurting. She knocked him out with an elbow to the face. Two of the men sitting next to him were friends of his and both decided they were down to brawl. The first pulled Natsuki off of the man by her shoulders but got an elbow to the gut for his trouble. The second went around the table at Nao who slid underneath it and came out on the other side with her back to Natsuki's. "God dammit, Nao. Why does this always happen around you?"

"What can I say? I'm a people person."

The other members of the card game had run when it came to weapons and now only the four fighters remained in the room. The second man, an average sized man with black hair pulled into a short ponytail, ran at Nao but Natsuki spun around her and caught him with a haymaker in the jaw. He fell to the floor with a few less teeth than he had. The other one, a skinny man with tattoos running up his left arm, charged at them. Nao ducked passed him and saw the blade only too late. The man made for Natsuki and connected, jamming the blade between her ribs and into her abdomen. She doubled over and felt the heat rise within her, a familiar feeling started to take her over but she struggled to maintain it. _No. Not here. Not like this._

The man pulled the shiv out and tried again but his hand stuck. Nao pulled him towards her by his arm and hit him in the nose with her open palm. When he fell to the ground she lifted her leg and heel stomped him unconscious. Natsuki was on her knees, blood on her hands from the wound in her side. Tears ran from her eyes and down her cheeks from the internal struggle that was being waged. Nao rushed over and put her arms around her. It did nothing to calm the beast. "Let me see it, how bad is it?"

Natsuki took her hands away and held her head. Nao checked the wound to find it non-existent, it was as if the blade had never penetrated. The pain finally passed and Natsuki fell back into a sitting position, she lay down on the floor breathing hard. Her voice was heavy, like the end of a long day. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Nao's usual cheery voice was replaced by an almost whispered response. "You?"

"Yeah. It'll take more than that butter knife to bring me down."

"I can see that." Nao thought it best not to bring up the almost instant healing she had witnessed.

Natsuki caught her breath and stood up, standing shakily on her legs. Nao went to help her stand but she pushed her away, Nao backed up readily. "I think it's best if we call it a night. Do you want me to take you home, or do you want to stay at my place?"

"No, I need to go home tonight." Natsuki walked away leaving Nao standing in the room with three unconscious men and stack of money on the table. She grabbed the money and stuffed it into her satchel, which had been on the back of the chair she was sitting in, then walked out of the bar and out to her car.

Natsuki got on her bike and rode towards home, a little shaky at first but she found her confidence as she rode. Her blood started to calm and she focused on her breathing, something she had been trying lately. _Calm down, Natsuki. With all this werewolf business now would be a terrible time to show yourself._ She pulled into her driveway and was off the bike even before it had idled down. She walked through the door and shut it quickly behind her, ran through the house to a spare room in the back where a punching bag hung from the ceiling. She whaled on it, working through her anger as she punched the bag repeatedly until she could hardly lift her hands. With each punch the anger fell away until the only thing left was exhaustion.

She left the room and went to the bathroom to throw some water on her face, looking into the mirror at her own green glass eyes. They had been vibrant once, everyone who saw them would tell her how beautiful they were, but now they barely had any luster at all. She guessed that the darkness of her life had penetrated even them and she saw nothing beautiful in the mirror anymore, just a woman who was tired of the path she walked. She stripped on her way to the bedroom, leaving her clothes where they lie, and fell into her bed. She wrapped herself in her familiar blankets and was comfortable until sleep took her.

_I'm running through green fields following a stream into a sparsely wooded area. I can smell prey around me. I choose a rabbit that is scurrying through the underbrush. I pounce with a speed it can't hope to match and snap it's neck in my powerful jaws. It's flesh is nourishing and delicious. I look around for more, the rabbit's blood still dripping from my fangs when I feel a presence, something I've never felt before. She moves through the air and it moves with her sending waves all around her like a stone hitting a pond. She looks at me, peers into my eyes and I'm stunned. _

_She approaches, her red eyes never leaving mine. She tells me her name and tells me everything is going to be alright. That I can rest. She runs her hand through my fur and it tingles wherever she touches. I like it. Then the bite and the scream._


	4. Chapter 4

**Mido-chan**

_You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen._

Midori sat at the table in her and Youko's house watching her lover make scrambled eggs while wearing a silk chemise and panties. She had loved Youko from the moment they had met, more years ago than Midori cared to remember. She always felt blessed that Youko had returned those feelings. She occasionally wondered what her life would be like without the other woman but would quickly dismiss those thoughts as grim, her line of work was grim enough.

She had met Youko nearly ten years ago and they had been dating for most of that time. Midori was still a beat cop back then and Youko hadn't yet opened her own practice. She was young, lithe and full of confidence as she walked the streets, her baton swinging was top notch and her eyes were open to everything around her.

She had left Fuuka to pursue her dream just two years prior, and after a longer than normal application process and a grueling run through the police academy she had finally earned her first beat, a small, quiet neighborhood on the north side of Kyoto. She was proud and she looked it, her walk was more swagger than purpose and she smiled at everyone who passed by her, tipping her cap and earning a smile from some of the more upstanding citizens.

This day was just like the dozen other days she had seen in the last two weeks, the sun was high in the sky with clouds enough that it didn't shine in your face and a cool temperature that didn't leave you feeling cold. She was in a good mood when she turned a corner and heard a shout. "Help."

The sound came from a nearby alleyway and she sprinted the full way down it, arriving in time to see a woman pressed against the wall of a building by a man holding a knife with one hand and trying to tear her skirt off with the other. She walked calmly towards him, they both turned their heads to look at her as she approached. Tears streaked the woman's makeup as the man eased up on his hold. Midori stopped two paces in front of them and brandished her baton, her voice was strong and authoritative just like they had taught her in the academy. "Let the woman go, drop the knife and put your hands in the air slowly."

The man looked at her with crazed eyes, like those of a dog whose day had never come, then he threw the girl towards her and took off down the alleyway. Midori caught the girl with her left arm and lowered her to the ground, then leapt forward in pursuit. He was crazed, running like a mad man down the alleyway, but Midori was young, trained and determined. She easily caught up to him.

Her feet pounded the pavement, her boots rang across the alleyway as he ran around a corner and she barreled through right behind him. He had stopped and as she passed he pushed off the wall and used his size to knock her back but not down. He brandished the knife above his head and screamed a rabid, high-pitched sound that assaulted Midori's ears. He charged her, the knife poised to strike, and she reacted. Her hand moved to the butt of her pistol and, in one practiced motion, unclipped her weapon, drew it from her holster, thumbed the safety off and pulled the trigger.

She hit him in the forehead, right between the eyes. The bullet struck and knocked him off his feet. His legs flailed comically as his body fell onto it's back, the knife clattered away to rest a few feet away from him. He was dead before he hit the ground. Blood pooled around his head in an ironic halo as he heaved once then lay still.

Midori's arm was still outstretched holding the pistol, the barrel wavered with how badly she was shaking. Her vision blurred and the first thought through her head was, _What have I done?_ She gathered herself and remembered the victim, the girl she had left in the alleyway to chase him down. She filed away all the thoughts about what had just happened for later then returned to the alleyway and found the girl sitting on the ground with her back against a wall. Tears were running down her face, Midori sat down beside her and put her arm around the girl's shoulders to comfort her. The girl closed her eyes and leaned against Midori, laying her head to rest on her broad shoulders as she fell asleep.

Midori lay holding her for some time, until another squad car came around and found her sitting with the girl. She waved down the alleyway and one of the officers followed it and found the body. He called dispatch for an ambulance then returned and helped Midori get the girl into the squad car then drove both of them downtown, leaving his partner to cordon off the area. The car ride was short with the officer alone in the front and Midori and the victim sitting in the back much as they had been in the alleyway. "Was that your first time?"

Midori looked forward, eyes unblinking. "Yes."

"It's tough, I know, but you did what you had to do. Survival is one of our strongest instincts. You should be happy to know that yours works just fine."

He said it with a smile but it didn't ease Midori's heart. She still felt cold the entire car ride to the precinct where the officer escorted the girl to his desk to take her statement and Midori headed for the Chief's office to explain herself. He listened to her report of the encounter and seemed satisfied and supportive. "Are you okay, Sugiura? I know your first kill is hard to take."

"I'm fine, chief."

"Here, just in case." The chief opened a drawer on his side of the desk, took out a business card and handed it to Midori. "It's the number to a shrink we keep on retainer for our staff. You should go talk to him, he's good. Take the rest of the week off, but I want you back here on Monday ready to get back to work. Understood? Dismissed."

Midori left, receiving many congratulations on the way out, and walked towards the parking lot where her personal car was. She was within sight of it when all the emotional barriers she had put up after the shooting started to collapse. She made it to the car before the tears, quickly unlocked the door and slid into the driver's seat before she let them flow. All of her fear over being knifed to death, her anger at the man for what he had done, all the guilt that she had ended a life, all of it came pouring out of her in one long cry. At the end of it she decided to visit the therapist that the Chief had recommended.

When she got home she called the therapist's office and made an appointment for later that week, Thursday was the nearest opening they had so she booked it. Afterwards she wandered aimlessly around the house, looking for something, anything, to take her mind off of what she had experienced. She turned the TV on but found it lacking, she cracked open a book but found no pleasure in it, she looked through her refrigerator but nothing was appetizing to her, she cleaned but was done too quickly. She decided to head to a local bar thinking a drink was just what she needed to calm herself, so she hopped in her car and drove around until she found one that looked interesting.

The bar she decided on was located a few miles from her apartment, a dreary looking place that seemed to fit with her mood. She walked in and no eyes turned to her, all of them drowning their own sorrows in the bottom of a bottle. She sat at the bar and ordered herself a vodka sour and drank it down in one gulp. The bartender eyed her warily and handed her another. She remembered that she still had her police jacket on so she took it off. "We don't get many police around here. Most of you go to one of the bars downtown."

Midori looked up with a look as hard as diamonds. "Those places stink. I like it here."

The man's lip curled on one side in, what she guessed, was his version of a smile. "You're good with me, buddy. Just keep the fighting to a minimum."

Midori dove back into her drink and was completely engrossed until a woman entered and sat next to her, ordered the same drink as her with much the same look as she had. It had been a while since Midori had talked to a woman and so she threw caution to the wind and decided now would be a good time to start up a conversation. "So, what are you in for?"

"Excuse me."

Midori winced and took a good look at the woman he was talking to. Short dark hair and fair skin but wearing nothing that Midori thought suited her, just a pair of old and torn jeans and a t-shirt that looked like it had seen some action. Her eyes were red and it looked like she had been crying recently, her mascara was running and Midori didn't have the heart to tell her. She merely grabbed a napkin from off the bar and started wiping at her face. The woman's expression was startled at first, but eventually she threw her head back and let Midori wipe the makeup off her face. "What I meant to say was, why does a pretty woman like you look so sad?"

The woman smiled, a distant smile that seemed to say 'You don't want to know'. "Thanks. I didn't know I looked that bad."

"If you look bad then I must be a monster."

The woman laughed and turned to face her. "I think you're quite handsome." Her smile was infectious, Midori found, because soon she found herself smiling too. "What's your name?"

"Sugiura Midori. What's yours?"

"Sagisawa Youko." Youko's smile faded slowly, Midori's followed suit. "You called me pretty. Do you really think I'm pretty?" Midori nodded emphatically. "And what if you found out that I sold my daughter away, what would think of me then? Would you still think that I was pretty?"

Her voice was deeply disturbed and Midori didn't want to pry, but she had already thrown caution to the wind and so she decided to bite. "I would want to know the reason why you did. That's an important piece of information."

Youko took a long drink from her glass and set it down on the counter, her eyes stayed with it. "I was young and stupid and I got pregnant from a guy I had a one night stand with. He disappeared and I was still in college so when she was born I gave her up for adoption. I got rid of her because I couldn't afford to keep her and it haunts me."

"It sounds like you did the best you could do and made a tough decision that most people don't have to make. You couldn't give your daughter the life she deserved so you gave her to someone who could. Someone who would raise her right in a home where she had everything she would ever want. It sounds like you put her needs ahead of your own and that makes you stronger than anyone I've ever known."

Youko's eyes didn't leave her glass but her lips pursed and Midori knew she had gotten through. "You're the first person to tell me that. Thanks."

They spent the next several hours talking about certain things in their lives. Midori was sure to stay away from the shooting as she didn't want to scare the poor woman off. Midori was talking about her motivations for becoming a police officer when she yawned suddenly and looked at her phone. It was three in the morning. "Woah, I'm pretty beat. I think I'm going to call it a night."

Before Midori could close her flip phone Youko snatched it out of her hand and started pressing keys. When she was finished she handed it back to Midori who was still flummoxed that she had been able to do that. Midori had always thought her reflexes sharp. She noticed that she had a new contact in her phone. "Call me sometime."

The next time she would see Youko again was two days later. She sat in the waiting room of the therapist's office with her foot tapping the floor and her fingers drumming the wood of the chair she sat in nervously. She had never been to a therapist before and was not sure what to expect. The secretary called her name and she stood straight up and nearly saluted the woman before she realized how that would look and stopped herself. "The doctor will see you now."

Midori followed the woman down a long hallway that seemed to stretch to infinity before Midori, each of her footsteps pounded in her ear next to her heartbeat. She walked through the door that the woman indicated into a room with little in it. Two easy chairs and a long couch were most of the furniture in the room, the walls were covered with images and scenes that she imagined were supposed to invoke serenity but only set her more on edge. Sitting in a chair across from the long sofa was the doctor, a slim man with a thick mustache and closely trimmed hair. "Officer Sugiura, is it? Please have a seat."

She did as requested and looked up when the door opened again and Youko walked casually through the door only to stop when she recognized the woman on the couch. The doctor looked up from his pad and noticed that they recognized each other. "Ms. Sugiura this is my intern Sagisawa Youko. She'll be sitting in on our discussion, if you don't mind."

Midori nodded dumbly and Youko sat down in the seat next to the doctor's with a slight blush on her cheeks. "Now what brings you into my office, Midori. Can I call you Midori?"

"That's fine." Midori closed her eyes and sighed, not relishing spilling her guts in front of the woman but knowing that she needed to let it out. "Two days ago I intercepted a rapist and when he tried to stab me I shot him in the head."

Youko's eyes widened, though whether from fear or something else Midori had no way of knowing. The doctor scribbled some in his notebook and shook his head, making an odd "Mmhmmm" sound as he did so. "And how did this make you feel, Midori?"

"Guilty, I guess. For all I know that man had a wife and kids somewhere or a mother and father or someone else who cared for him and I took him away from them. Now they'll have to live without him because of me."

The doctor scribbled more notes into his notebook then went to speak but Youko beat him to it. "You shouldn't think that. You saved that poor woman from a fate worse than death, you're a hero Midori."

"It doesn't feel that way. I feel like a killer."

"You are a killer." Youko's matter of fact way of saying it caught Midori off guard. "You killed that man and changed his life forever, but you also changed the woman you saved's life as well. Our actions have deeper consequences than we often know, and you need to come to terms with the fact that you have the power to affect a lot of lives both positively and negatively. Yes a man is dead, but a woman is alive and well because of you. Instead of choosing to look at the bad consequences of your choices, why don't you try looking at the good things that your actions have created. I think that will get you passed this."

Midori was impressed and couldn't suppress the smile that came to her face. The more she dealt with Youko the more her attraction to her grew. Even the doctor seemed impressed. "I couldn't have said it better myself. That was quite insightful, Youko. I think I'll leave her case to you, then."

Youko seemed on the verge of tears when he handed her the notebook he had been writing in. "You mean..." she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, "my first case."

"That's right, you've earned it. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to take a lunch break. I'll be back in thirty minutes Youko."

The doctor left and only the two women remained in the room. Quiet reigned for many minutes before Midori cleared her throat and spoke. "Congratulations, Youko."

Youko blushed and turned her head slightly. "Thanks, Midori. It looks like you get to be my first real patient." Youko leaned forward and rested her hands on her knees, her hands steepled in front of her face which wore a serious look on it. "How does that make you feel?"

"Relieved, actually. I like talking to you." _And it doesn't hurt that you're drop dead gorgeous. _

Youko smiled and batted her eyes in a way that drove Midori wild. "I like you too...I mean talking with you, of course. What am I saying?" Youko laughed in a flustered way and Midori knew in that moment that she wanted to spend more time with her new therapist. It wasn't long after that they stopped being doctor and patient and became friends, and it wasn't long after that before the two became more than friends.

Midori thought all this as Youko sauntered over to the table and set the scrambled eggs before her on plate and sat down across from her. Midori noticed that Youko was eating somewhat sullenly and her usual cheer looked to have been dampened. Wondering what had happened she let her finish her food before asking her, "Are you feeling okay, honey? You seem kind of down."

Youko sighed. "I talked to Nina today." _That explains it. She always gets sullen when Nina calls._ Youko's eyes grew watery and she licked her lips before she spoke. "She's doing good in school but she's not really happy with where she's living right now. She's been running away a lot, she said." Youko bit her lip, tears running more freely down her cheek with every word she spoke. "She told me that she misses me...and that she loves me. I...I didn't know what to say. I just...just..."

Youko's voice broke into sobs and she dropped her head to the table and wrapped her arms around her head. Midori was heartbroken seeing her love crying, she was on her feet and by Youko's side in an instant. She knelt beside her and pulled her into a tight embrace, as if to say 'I'll never let you go'. Youko buried her head in Midori's shoulder and let everything out. When she was done and her face was wet with tears she rested her head on Midori's shoulder. "I'm a terrible person, aren't I?"

"If you're a terrible person then I'm a monster." Midori's voice was soft and comforting, something that Youko always liked about her partner. Midori was always there in her time of need.

"You don't need this before you go to work. I'm sorry."

"You think I care about that, dummy?" Midori wiped the tears from Youko's face with her palm. "I'll call in today so I can spend the day with you."

"No, don't." Youko straightened herself back into her chair and Midori stood. "I don't want to take you away from your work. Go, I'll be fine Mido-chan."

The pet name made Midori worry, Youko only called her that when she was upset. "Are you sure? It wouldn't be a problem to call in today."

"No, I'm fine. You go and I'll see you tonight."

Midori leaned over and captured Youko's lips with her own, lingering a bit longer than she intended and pulling away out of breath. "If you need anything you call me, okay?"

"Okay, bye honey."

"Bye, babe."

Midori reluctantly left and made her way to the precinct with Youko on her mind and in her heart. When she got there she made straight for her desk and found Yuuichi sitting in her chair. Her anger at him was palpable. "Get, the, fuck, up, now."

Yuuichi did so and Midori sat down and pulled out her files on Fujino Shizuru. "You look grumpier than usual. Is something wrong?"

"Not your business, rookie. Let's get started, what's on the docket for today?"

"We're going to interview Fujino Shizuru today, right?"

Midori opened the file folder again and looked through for anything she might have missed and found nothing. "It's extremely circumstantial but we don't have anything else. Suit up and let's go."

Midori drove with Yuuichi riding shotgun out to Shizuru's new house and walked up the well swept driveway to the front door. Midori knocked loudly and waited, a few moments later a tawny haired woman answered the door with a surprised look on her face. Midori and Yuuichi held their badges in their hands. "I'm Detective Sugiura Midori and this is Tate Yuuichi, we'd like to have a few words with you about an incident that occurred last week."

"Sure, come in." Shizuru's voice was questioning when she met the two detectives into her house. They sat down on the couch which Yuuichi remarked was comfortable and Midori silenced him with a look. Shizuru pulled a chair from her dining room and sat across from them with her back towards her TV stand. "What can I help you with?"

Midori put her game face on. "Are you aware that a man was murdered late last week on a farm on the outskirts of town?"

"Are you talking about the werewolf murder?"

Midori angered at the media hype but neither her face nor her voice wavered. "Allegedly. It's come to my attention that you moved into town just a day before the incident."

Shizuru's questioning look deepened. "Am I a suspect?"

"Not exactly." Midori leaned forward and steepled her hands in front of her face, her green eyes looked over Shizuru. She felt naked in front of the detective. "How is your book selling? White Wolf Whispers is it?"

"If you must know, White Wolf Whispers sold horribly." Shizuru angered. "What is this about?"

"My sources say differently." Midori stayed stoic before the angry brunette. "It seems the sales for White Wolf Whispers have drastically improved since the attack. It seems that rumors of werewolves are good for book sales."

"I didn't know that." She was telling the truth, Midori had interviewed enough people to know that. It meant that Shizuru most likely knew nothing more about the attacks and she had hit another dead end. "I don't know anything about any werewolf attacks, though."

"I didn't think so, but it's my job to follow all leads." Midori stood and Yuuichi followed suit. "Thank you for your time, ma'am. If you come across any information that could help us don't hesitate to call."

"I will do that. I'm sorry I couldn't be of any more help." Shizuru shook Midori's hand followed by Yuuichi's. She led the detectives to her front door and closed it behind them.

Midori stood on the porch with Yuuichi for a moment, typing what she had learned into her phone for future reference. "So that was a dead end. What are we going to do now?"

Midori closed her phone and slid it back into her pocket. "Nothing much we can do. I'm going home. Youko was upset when I left and I want to go spend time with her."

Midori drove her and Yuuichi back to the station. The car was silent until Yuuichi asked, "So are you and Dr. Sagisawa married?" Midori shook her head. "Why not?"

"Because it wouldn't be recognized," Midori's voice was heavy and it and obvious that she had put a lot of thought into his very subject, "so what's the point. They talk about equality, but they only ever mean for them. What about the rest of us? Don't we deserve to be equal?"

"It would mean something to you, right? That's why you do it. Forget what everyone else thinks about equality and all that shit. Do it for you and for her. Do it because it'll make you happy."

A small smile came to Midori's face before she stifled it. "What the hell do you know? Shut up."

Midori stopped in front of the police station and dropped Yuuichi off at the curb, then left for home. On the way she flipped open her phone and placed a call to the chief explaining why she was leaving work early. He approved so long as Yuuichi filed the report and she flicked her phone closed and drove the rest of the way home in silence.

When she got home she found Youko still wearing the silk slip she had been wearing laying on the couch curled around a container of ice cream. Her cheeks were stained from the tears she had probably been crying before she got there and Midori choked up at the sight. Youko looked up when the door opened and tried a smile when she saw it was Midori. "You're home early, Mido-chan. Is everything alright?"

Youko scooted over to make room for Midori and curled up with the red-head, burying her face in the woman's chest. Midori held her close. "I don't know, is everything alright?"

"Nina called again. She asked if she could come and stay with us." Youko slid down and rested her head in Midori's lap while Midori stroked her hair gently. "Is it okay if she comes and stays with us? If only for a little while?"

"Of course it is."

"That's good," a smile slowly spread across her face as she looked up into the eyes of her love, "because I already told her she could." Midori chuckled and ruffled Youko's hair a bit, earning a glare from the woman in her lap. "We'll be like a family now."

"Does that make me the dad?" Midori smirked.

"Step-dad at least." Youko pinched Midori's cheek and the red-head pouted. "She's going to love you. I know it." They sat together silently for some time. "Are you hungry Midori? Why don't we go out to eat tonight?"

"Where to?"

"Natsuki is a cook at Mai's Diner, we can go there."

"Natsuki? I don't like that woman." Midori had a dislike for Natsuki from the day they had met at Youko's office. Natsuki had come in for one of her sessions wasted and Midori had dropped by to take Youko to lunch when she heard what she thought was Natsuki going off on Youko. Midori kicked the door down and nearly tackled the blue-haired woman but Youko convinced her to back off, that it was just a misunderstanding. Natsuki had huffed and walked away and from that day forward Midori had disliked Natsuki. "She's nothing but trash. Why you waste your time on her is beyond me."

"Stop it, Midori. I'm sick of your little vendetta with her. Why can't you just let it go?"

"Because something about that woman rubs me the wrong way. Call it intuition if you must but I just don't like her, that's all. If you want to go to Mai's tonight that's fine by me."

"No, it's just going to make you mad and I'm going to have to hear you complain all night so forget it. Just forget it."

Midori knew what to say. She knew it like she knew her name and phone number, she knew it like she knew how to drive, she knew it because she had said it countless times in the past. It was in her memory, almost a reflex by now. "I'm sorry, babe."

"It's not your fault, I'm sorry I snapped at you." That was the mortar that had held the bricks of their relationship together for all the years they had been together, compromise. "I'll cook something for us tonight, okay sweetie?"

"No, let's go to Mai's, that sounds good."

"Okay. Let me get dressed."

Youko slid away from Midori and walked to the bedroom, Midori missed her warmth and followed her. She caught the brunette from behind and kissed her neck, wrapping her arms around her waist. "Not so fast, pumpkin. The diner will be open all night." Her hand traced the slip down and dipped underneath, feeling creamy skin underneath. "Why don't we work up an appetite first."

Youko turned her head and found Midori's lips waiting for her. They kissed while Midori's hands explored underneath the silk and down to her panties. Youko sighed when her hand dipped inside and caressed softly while Midori planted soft kisses down her now bare shoulder. Youko turned in her grip, and Midori gently pushed her backwards onto the bed. Midori stripped down to her underwear and straddled Youko on the bed. Their lips met and their bodies pressed together. Midori bucked her hips and a moan escaped the woman beneath her. The woman she loved.

Their lovemaking was slow and methodical, Midori took her time and when she finally brought Youko to orgasm they fell together onto the bed. Midori rested her head on Youko's chest. "I think I need to shower before we leave."

"I think you need someone to wash your back."

It was another hour before Midori and Youko left for Mai's Diner. When they walked in the only eyes that turned to them were Mai's at the counter and Shizuru's who was sitting at a table nearby. They picked a table and Mai sauntered over to take their orders. Afterwards, Youko stood from the table. "I need to use the restroom. I'll be right back."

Youko walked off. Midori sat at the table with her hands balled up in front of her face. She noticed the kitchen door open and Kuga Natsuki emerge with a plate of food. She took it over to Shizuru who smiled and made a comment. Natsuki was leaned up against the wall talking to her when she felt Midori's eyes on her. She looked in the red-head's direction. "Didn't see you there, detective. How are things?"

Midori was all business. She stood and approached with an air that made Shizuru shiver a bit. "I heard there was a fight at the Stallion last night. I also heard that you and Yuuki Nao were involved."

Natsuki's face was just as unreadable as Midori's as the two faced off less than a pace apart. "If you know about the fight then you know we didn't start it."

"But you damn well ended it. Three injured men, one of whom claims to have stabbed you. I don't see you injured so I'm wondering what he stabbed you with?"

Natsuki's eyes turned to slits. "What are you implying?"

Midori took a step forward and got in her face. "What are you guilty of?"

"Midori, stop it." Youko stood near their table and shouted across the room, her voice filled the space between them and even Natsuki was taken aback. "This was supposed to be our time to spend together. Stop fighting, dammit."

Midori exhaled and turned to walk away, but not before muttering, "Watch yourself, Kuga, because I will be watching."

"Enjoy the show, detective."

Natsuki stomped to the back and Midori sat down with a now angry Youko whom she tried to appease with a smile. "I'm sorry."

Youko sighed. "It's fine, honey, just forget about it."

They sat together and ate, their conversation was light. Youko told Midori about some of her clients and how they had progressed. Midori was all ears, she always was for Youko, and stayed attentive through the whole conversation while she watched Shizuru out of the corner of her eye. At one point Mai walked over and chatted with her about the rising sales of her book. Shizuru reiterated that she had been unaware until she had spoken with her publisher and he confirmed that White Wolf Whispers was selling out in Fuuka. Not long after that, Natsuki wandered out of the kitchen witthout so much as a glance in her direction and resumed her conversation with the brunette. It seemed to Midori that Natsuki was a bit nervous while talking with her and wondered why.

"So anyway, how was your day? Did you get any work done?"

Midori turned her full attention back to Youko. "Me and Yuuichi interviewed Fujino Shizuru, that woman over there, but we came up empty."

"Is that who that is? I know Natsuki's a huge fan of hers, she must be so excited."

_That could explain her nervousness_. Midori kept watching out of the corner of her eye while she finished her noodles and set her chopsticks down on the table. Natsuki returned to the kitchen and Shizuru paid and left. Youko had finished eating just after Midori did and was looking at her expectantly. Midori noticed and turned her full attention to her. "What? Do I have something on my face?"

She leaned across the table and gave Midori a quick kiss on the lips. "No. It's just nice, isn't it? It's been a while since we've just gone out to eat." Youko laid her head on the table. "I don't want to go back to work tomorrow."

"I know how you feel." Midori pulled out her wallet and tossed enough money to pay for the food and then some onto the table. She stood up and held her hand out to Youko who took it and got up from the table. "Do you want to go for a walk? It's a nice night for it."

Youko agreed and walked with Midori out into the night and down the sidewalk hand-in-hand. The night was clear without even a wisp of cloud to block out the blanket of stars that covered the world and made one feel lucky to be alive. Youko's eyes were on the stars but her mind was on the star that walked right next to her. Midori meant the world to her and now her daughter was about to join their family. Youko couldn't imagine being happier so she put the ugliness at the diner behind her, wrapped her arm around Midori's waist and lay her head on her shoulder as they walked, both happy to be together for at least one night in the week.


	5. Chapter 5

**Nights in White Satin**

Two weeks pass and the 'werewolf' incident is far from anyone's mind, especially the mind of twenty year old Nadama Rin. She walked carelessly down the dark street confident that her feet knew the way to go. She had walked this particular long and lonely stretch of road to her parent's home for the last fifteen years of her life and tonight promised to be no different. Her headphones blared loud rock music as she swayed and hummed to the rhythm, her footsteps falling in time with the beat in a practiced step.

The music dropped and her phone rang loudly in her ears, she stripped the offending headphones away and took the phone out of her pocket. The screen read that it was her friend Hiromi who was probably lying in her bed bored and broke. "It's passed your bedtime, isn't it Hiromi?"

"Shut up." Rin liked to tease Hiromi that she still hadn't found a part time job yet, mostly because her father wouldn't let her be out at night. He had set a strict curfew for her and she disliked it but obeyed him. His house, his rules. "What are you doing, Rin? Why don't you come over tonight?"

"I'm tired from working. It's what adults do to make money."

"I know what working is, geez." If Rin hadn't been so busy on the phone she might have seen a shadow stretch from the moonlight as a hunched figure trundled nearby. "Come on, Rin. I've got some beer, if that will change your mind."

_I could use a drink_. Rin had spent several hours standing in a store by herself before counting the money and locking up the store and she was looking for a way to unwind. Once again if she had been paying attention she would have seen a hunched figure that was obviously following her now. "Alright, you got me. Just let me get home and shower first, then I'll..." She heard a sound from behind her, a sound like a wolf howling and it sent shivers down her spine.

"Rin? What was that?"

She stood stock still, eyes wide and jaw hanging open. She didn't want to turn around, didn't want to see what crazy thing was behind her but she knew that she had to. "I've got to go." Her voice was flat and expressionless as she hung up the phone and turned slowly around. What she saw defied what her mind thought was possible.

It stood like a man, in that it stood on two legs, but it's back seemed permanently hunched. It's white fur glinted in the moonlight, dead eyes sunk into a wolf's head looked right at her. It released a howl that awakened Rin's fight or flight instinct. She ran away, letting out a long scream as she flew down the sidewalk as fast as her legs would carry her.

She could hear it behind her, breathing heavy, it's feet falling hard to the pavement. It howled again and she picked up the pace trying to get into a neighborhood where she might find help.

She saw the lights of the city ahead but her stamina was running out. She shouted for help but no one was near as the beast leaped and slammed into her, knocking her to the ground. Before she could get a scream out the beast cut her throat with it's claws then started hacking at the body even after she had choked and bled out. It let out a long, piercing howl in honor of it's kill, a howl that could be heard throughout the town of Fuuka.

-WWW-

Shizuru woke up in her comfortable bed, sat up and stretched her arms. She heard a pop in her right shoulder and turned her head to pop her neck a few times. _I need a new pillow_. She stood up from the bed and walked over to the floor length window in her bedroom and threw the curtains open. She looked across her backyard onto a beautiful fall day. The leaves were changing colors and left her yard looking like an abstract painting. She had fenced off a section of the yard intending to start a small vegetable garden. She looked in it's direction and noticed that one side of the square fence had been knocked over. _Dammit, I can't have anything nice._

She looked through her drawers for a robe, since she liked to sleep naked, threw it around herself and made her way downstairs to her kitchen. She opened her refrigerator and took out a carton of eggs and a slab of bacon to make breakfast with. The bacon sizzled in a delicious way when she tossed it onto the skillet and her appetite increased.

When she had finished and had a plate of bacon and eggs before her she ate, relishing each bite as if it were her last. When she was done she tossed the plate into the empty sink and swore to wash it later then went back up to her bathroom to take a quick shower. She threw on a blue top with matching skirt and headed for the front door. She needed a few supplies to fix her broken fence.

When she opened the door a woman fell backwards into the room. She was dead. Her blank eyes stared up at the ceiling, a look of horror was painted on the girl's face. Her body was clawed up as if by a madman and her throat had been cut. Shizuru recoiled and tripped over her own feet, her hands covering her mouth and nose in shock. _Why_? She frantically dug through her pockets for her phone and found the card with Midori's phone number with it. She dialed it as quickly as she could. "This is detective Sugiura."

"Detective," her voice was frantic as she got to her feet and ran up the stairs to her room, "someone's...here."

"What are you talking about? Are you being attacked?"

"No, there's a dead woman on my doorstep. It looks like she got attacked by some animal. Please hurry."

Midori did hurry, and after only ten minutes had pulled into the driveway with two other squad cars hot on her heels. Shizuru watched them pull up to the curb from her bedroom window. She had barricaded herself in her room and grabbed a taser she kept in her dresser drawer for just such an occasion. A knock on her door got her attention and a male voice asked, "Ms. Fujino, are you in there? We're the police."

"Where's Detective Sugiura?"

She heard movement on the other side of the door then she heard Midori's clear voice. "Ms. Fujino, it's safe. You can come out now."

Shizuru eased up at the sound of her voice, she had never heard an angel's call but she was sure it sounded something like that. She moved the dresser she had shoved in front of the door and opened it, unaware that she still had the taser in her hand until Midori smirked. "You can put that away, Ms. Fujino."

Shizuru set the taser on the dresser she had just moved and followed Midori out into the hallway and down the stairs. "Sorry, I'm just freaked out about this whole thing." They walked towards the front door and she noticed a man in a white lab coat hunched over the body that still lay where she had left it. "You can't move the body?"

"No, it's evidence. Tell me what happened?"

Shizuru recounted what had happened starting with when she woke up. "When I opened the door the body just flopped in and I panicked. That's when I called you."

"I see. So you didn't hear anything last night? The sounds of a struggle, maybe?"

Shizuru shook her head. She had gone to bed quite early the previous night and tended to sleep through most disturbances. "No, I didn't hear anything. Why at my front door, though? What does it mean?"

"It could be a coincidence, but since there's no blood on your porch I'm going to assume that it's not." The porch had been spotless when Midori approached, the only thing out of place had been the dead girl in her doorway. "Somebody put that body there which means they wanted you to find it." Midori did some thinking in her head. "Do you have anywhere else you can stay? A friend's place, maybe, somewhere without your name on it?"

"Well..." She considered asking Mai or even Natsuki but envisioning asking the brunette to stay at her place conjured images she didn't want to process at the moment.

"If you don't we can put a police detail outside of your house to watch it around the clock. We won't take any chances with your safety." Midori sat down with Shizuru in the living room just out of view of the body. "Have you made any enemies, Ms. Fujino?"

"Not that I know of."

"No one, no ex-publishers or journalists that you slighted, no jilted lovers." The last one made her think of Tomoe, but she couldn't be behind all this. It was impossible. "It might have something to do with that book of yours. Have you ever had any stalkers or death threats?"

"Not that I know of. I know White Wolf Whispers wasn't popular but I can't imagine someone would try to kill me for it. As for stalkers, I've never had one so I wouldn't know."

Once again Midori was at a loss. She could tell that Shizuru was telling the truth but the fact that the second victim had been found literally on her doorstep pointed a lot of fingers in her direction. "Okay. Let me know what you decide to do. Until then I'm going to set an undercover unit across the street and if he comes back we'll get him. I think it would be better if you weren't here though."

"I understand. Thanks detective."

Midori returned to her investigation while Shizuru grabbed her car keys and practically ran to her car. _What could the killer want with me? Why am I being targeted? _As she drove she felt her nerves ease, her initial shock at finding the body abated and she started thinking rationally. _The detective is right, I need to find a place to stay._

She drove to the diner as she often did on days like this and walked in to a cordial greeting by the hostess, a slim black haired girl that Shizuru didn't recognize. She guessed that it must be Mai's day off and that this was her replacement. "Have a seat wherever you like."

"Thank you."

Shizuru took the seat that had become her usual place at the bar and waited for the girl to come around and take her order. She looked into the kitchen and saw blue hair tied in a messy bun and smiled. The woman looked up and noticed Shizuru. She returned the smile and Shizuru heard pans rattling before Natsuki stepped through the door and approached her. "Hi."

"Hi." Shizuru had found herself talking more and more with the blue-haired woman. She found it comfortable, like talking to an old friend. The events of the morning left a pall on Shizuru, however, so her eyes were cast down and her face was sullen.

Natsuki noticed. "What's wrong?"

Shizuru breathed deeply and calmed herself. "There's been another murder. When I opened my door this morning a woman's body fell into my house. I panicked and called the police."

"What?" Natsuki's voice betrayed her disbelief and Shizuru didn't blame her. If she hadn't lived it she wouldn't have believed it. "So she was killed on your porch?"

"No, the porch was spotless. It looked like somebody just set the body against my front door."

"Like a threat? Shizuru this is serious, what are you going to do?"

Shizuru covered her face with her hands, her voice sounding more panicked as the seconds passed. "I don't know. What if this killer is after me? What if I'm his next target? What if he's coming for me right now?"

"This could all mean nothing, too." Natsuki's voice turned low and sultry as she tried to calm Shizuru. She took a nearby glass and poured some freshly brewed tea into it and handed it to Shizuru. "This could just blow over in a few days, or the cops could catch the killer tonight. This could all mean nothing."

Shizuru cradled the cup in her hands, the warmth helped relax her. "Detective Sugiura suggested that I find a place to stay for a few nights. A place where the killer won't think to look."

Natsuki bit her lower lip and her eyes seemed to look everywhere but at Shizuru. She had noticed this before, it meant that Natsuki was nervous. Her voice betrayed this nervousness, she spoke in a voice so low that Shizuru had to strain to hear her. "You could...well?...if you wanted to...you could stay with me for a few days. Only if you wanted to." Once she asked the question she seemed to gain more confidence, her voice became stronger. "I have a guest room with a bed and my house is hard to find. I have to practically walk them there when I order take-out."

Shizuru found herself smiling, a smile that seemed to set Natsuki a little more at ease. She had been dreading bringing up the question to the woman. They only ever spoke at the diner and to call them friends would be a stretch but Natsuki had brought it up first. The thought of Natsuki caring about her brought the smile to her face. "I don't have a better option, but I don't want to be a bother."

"It's no bother. Lao Tsu said that if everyone after according to the Way there would be no need for laws."

The quote threw Shizuru off. She had never heard Natsuki talk like that and it surprised her. Natsuki didn't look like the bookish type. "That's insightful. Are you a Taoist?"

Natsuki's cheeks reddened a barely noticeable amount. Shizuru noticed. "No I just read a book of his once and loved it. The door to the diner opened and a couple entered. The girl at the door greeted them and Natsuki went to return to the kitchen. "Just come back here at close and we'll go together, okay?"

_Together_. "Okay."

Natsuki returned to the kitchen and Shizuru held her cup of tea close. She soon found a plate of shrimp dumplings in front of her and realized that she hadn't eaten since the night before. She ravenously tore into them and had devoured them within minutes. Afterwards she leaned back in her chair and sighed. _Considering today's events I shouldn't be this calm and relaxed, but I am. Does Natsuki have this effect on me?_

Her phone rang while she was thinking and she almost dropped it getting it out of her pocket. It was Tomoe. "Hello?"

"Shizuru, thank god. I heard about the attack, are you okay?"

Her voice sounded worried and Shizuru didn't know whether to be touched or annoyed. She chose the latter and it showed in her voice. "I'm fine, Tomoe. I'm okay now. How did you already hear about it? It only happened this morning."

"I've got sources, look..." _Just like Tomoe to gloss over the important details._ "I want you to come back to the city. Even if it's not for me, even if you hate my guts and never talk to me again I just want to know that you're safe."

_It's never that simple with you, Tomoe._ Through their entire relationship Tomoe had acted as if everything she did was for Shizuru's sake but it was all calculated for her gain. That was one of the reasons she had fled from the woman. She was a poisonous influence on her life. "I'm not coming back, Tomoe."

"But..."

"I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself."

"Shizuru..." The disappointment in Tomoe's voice betrayed her true motives. Shizuru had evaded her again and she was noticeably upset. "You're seeing someone, aren't you?"

"I thought you had your sources." Shizuru's smug answer brought a sense of satisfaction to her. She would have the last punch in this fight. "Goodbye, Tomoe."

"I love..." Click. _Am I a bad person?_

-WWW-

Midori watched Shizuru drive away and worried about the woman's safety. She placed a call to her chief and asked for an undercover unit to stake out the house for the next week then headed over to the body where the coroner was performing his duty. "What do we have, doc? Is it the same MO as the first murder?"

"Yep, it looks like this is a serial case now." The man lifted his head and adjusted the glasses on his face with his palm. "It looks like the cut across the throat is the cause of death. The victim was most likely dead before the killer started clawing at her body. Do we have a motive yet?"

"Not yet." Her cellphone buzzed and she flicked it open. "The victim was name Nadama Rin. Her family lives on the outskirts of town so it looks like that's our next stop." A car pulled up to the house and Tate Yuuichi stepped out with a cup of coffee in his hand. Midori walked up to and passed him towards her own car. "Wake up, let's go."

Tate Yuuichi followed at Midori's brisk pace and spilled some of his coffee before he got to the car. He slid into the passenger's seat and barely got the door closed before the car lurched forward and he rushed to put his seatbelt on. "Woah, what's got you so agitated?"

"It's serial now."

Yuuichi was confused until he took the time to process the call he had recieved earlier from the woman. "There's been another victim? Who was she?"

"Her name was Nadama Rin. Apparently the killer dumped her body on Fujino Shizuru's doorstep, possibly as a warning."

"Does she know anything about who might be doing it?"

"I already asked her, no she doesn't." Midori turned onto a road towards the outskirts of the town. "We're heading to the Nadama's place now. Wait."

Midori slammed the brakes and the car came to a sliding, screeching halt that threw Yuuichi forward and nearly caused him to spill the remains of his coffee. He wiped at his tie with a napkin while Midori unbuckled herself quickly and burst from the car like a woman on a mission. "What the hell was that?"

Yuuichi unbuckled himself and got out to chase after his partner. He found her crouched over near, what at first glance appeared to be, an oil spill. Midori dipped her finger in and waved it under her nose to smell it. She looked up at Yuuichi as he approached. "It's blood, and I'll bet I know who it belonged to."

She pulled out her phone and went through her contacts until she found the one she wanted and pressed it. "Doctor, it's Sugiura. I need you to come to the corner of First and Main. I've found something you're going to want to see."

The doctor was there quickly, almost too quickly. He pulled up in his black sedan and shut the door behind him with the engine still running. "What is it, detective?" She showed him to the patch of blood. The doctor knelt down and took a sample. "Do you think this blood will belong to the victim?"

"Most likely, which means that she was attacked and killed on her way home from work. The killer must have done the deed here and carried her to the Fujino house." Midori's brow furrowed, she hated asking the next question but it was an important detail. "Were there any signs of sexual assault?"

The doctor shook his head. "No. We also found her jewlery and some cash still on her person so robbery wasn't the motive either." He stood and put his hands on his waist still holding the vial of blood. "This is a stumper alright. I'll take this back to the lab and have it analyzed, but I'm sure you have the right of it. Good luck, detective."

"Thanks, doc." She walked back to the car with Yuuichi in tow. "Let's get to the Nadama's and deliver the bad news."

"You mean they haven't been told yet?"

Midori pursed her lips. "That's our job. So just let me do the talking."

The drive to the Nadama's house was silent and tense. With every mile that passed she grew more and more anxious. _I hate this part of the job._ When she pulled into the driveway she stopped the car and sat for a few minutes to gather her thoughts. Yuuichi looked at her worriedly. "Let's go."

She closed the door and solemnly walked up the driveway to the front door. She knocked and didn't wait long before an older man answered the door wearing a casual suit with his hair oiled. "Nadama Ruichi? I'm detective Sugiura and I'm afraid I have some bad news. Your daughter, Nadama Rin, was found dead this morning. I'm so sorry for your loss."

The man's face turned from disbelief to anger to tears in less than a second. He called for his wife, Tatsume, and told her the news. She burst into tears and flew back into the house. The father looked back at Midori with dark eyes wet with tears. "How? Why?"

"Can we come in? I'll tell you everything we know."

-WWW-

Shizuru stood outside the back door of Mai's Diner waiting for Natsuki to finish closing up. She had arrived while the store was open and Natsuki offered to let her wait inside but Shizuru didn't want to be a bother so she decided to wait outside instead. She tapped her foot and waited as the long minutes rolled by. She didn't even notice the man approach her from the shadows until he spoke in a shaky voice. "Hel-hello. You're Fujino Shizuru, yes?" Shizuru was startled and turned to see that it was the man who had screamed for Natsuki a couple of weeks ago. "I don't think we-we've met before. My-my name is Masashi Takeda."

The man looked terrible, his form gaunt and pale and his stride odd as he strode up to Shizuru and stopped within a pace of her. He extended a large hand in her direction, a hand which she reluctantly shook. She had to wipe her hand clean on her skirt afterwards, his hands were so filthy. "It's nice to meet you."

"You and Natsuki are close, yeah?"

It seemed more a statement than a question and Shizuru didn't know the proper answer. The hair rose up on the back of her neck as she grew more nervous in his presence. "I wouldn't say close but we talk a good deal. Why?"

"She loves me." He said it with confidence, as if it were a known fact like humans need oxygen to live or there are trees. She detected something else behind the phrase, but couldn't quite figure it out. A light shone in his eyes as if a bright idea suddenly occurred to his addled mind. "You can help me. You can convince her to be with me."

"What?" Shizuru was perplexed.

"Of course, it's perfect. She's a huge fan of yours, you can convince her. She'll listen to you." He smiled showing all of his yellowed teeth as his excitement at Shizuru helping him grew. Apparently the thought of her saying no never crossed his mind. He spun in place and laughed aloud, more a bark than anything else. "This is great, this is great. Haha..."

A bottle flew out of nowhere and struck the wall beside Takeda. Both of them looked over to see Natsuki holding another bottle by the neck and glaring at Takeda, her teeth grit so loud Shizuru could swear she heard one pop. "What. The fuck. Are you doing here?" She advanced slowly, menacingly on the taller man before her. He tried to speak but she silenced him with a glare. "I told you to leave me alone, Masashi. Get lost, now."

"Natsuki, my love..."

Natsuki cocked her hand back ready to throw the bottle in it, her emerald eyes like steel piercing the haggard man. Her voice was as solid as the cement beneath their feet. "Now."

Takeda backed away holding his hands up in a universal sign of surrender. He bowed low several times before looking up at Shizuru. "You'll think about what I asked, yeah?" Then turned on his heels and ran down the alleyway and out onto the street.

Shizuru watched him go and leaned up against the wall for support. Natsuki walked up and stood close. "I'm sorry about that, but I did offer to let you wait inside." Natsuki threw a trash bag into a nearby dumpster then shot a worried look at Shizuru. She put a comforting hand on her shoulder, her green eyes softer than she had ever seen them before. "Are you okay? You're shivering."

Shizuru hadn't realized it but she was shivering. The conversation with Takeda had left her shaken and Natsuki's near violent intervention hadn't helped calm her. She felt arms around her and a warm embrace that seemed to take all of the fear and doubt away from her. Natsuki rubbed her back and Shizuru lay her head on strong shoulders. "I'm sorry, I should never have left you out here alone. I'm so sorry."

Shizuru regained her voice and her composure and backed away from the embrace. She didn't want to get lost in it like her body seemed to want. "It's okay, I'm fine. I just got a little nervous, that's all."

"Are you sure?"

Shizuru gave her a confident smile and Natsuki walked back into the store then walked back out wearing her motorcycle helmet on her head and carrying another under her arm. She locked the back door behind her and handed the helmet to Shizuru.

Shizuru looked bewildered. "I was just going to follow you in my car."

She couldn't tell but it sounded like Natsuki was smiling behind the black mask. "Nonsense, just ride with me. I work in the morning so I'll bring you back into town if you need me to. If someone is really looking for you they won't think to look on the back of my bike."

It made sense to her but Shizuru had never ridden a motorcycle before and said as much. "I've never ridden a motorcycle before."

"You'll be fine, I won't let anything happen to you."

Shizuru believed her. The conviction with which she said the words was a buoy to Shizuru's sinking heart, lifting her out of her despair and letting her breathe. Natsuki fitted the helmet to Shizuru's head and she was surprised at how well she could see out of it. Natsuki mounted the bike and urged Shizuru to do the same. She did and was unsure about where to put her hands so Natsuki took her hands and wrapped them around her waist. A heat rose up and Shizuru was sure she was blushing under the helmet. If she had seen Natsuki's face it was red as well.

Natsuki started the bike and the rumble of the engine increased Shizuru's nervousness but the strength that she held in her arms kept her grounded and she breathed in as the bike evenly accelerated. After a few turns she started to lean in with the turns and before long she found herself exhilarated by the raw feeling of speed. She pressed herself closer to Natsuki and could have swore she felt the woman shiver under her touch but the bike never strayed from it's course until it finally stopped in front of a small wooden house set between two larger apartment buildings. Natsuki had been right, this place was hard to find.

Shizuru dismounted and found that her knees were weak, whether from the ride or the woman she rode with she couldn't tell. She willed them to stand, not wanting to show any sign of weakness in front of the other woman, and followed Natsuki to the front door. Natsuki took off the helmet as she walked and when they got to the door she chuckled and took the helmet off of Shizuru as well. She had gotten so caught up with the woman in front of her that she hadn't noticed it was still on. "Are you okay?" She asked for the second time that night and Shizuru nodded solemnly.

The inside of the house was much different than Shizuru anticipated. She had imagined a chaotic mess with everything thrown haphazardly around the room but what she found was a clean and well-organized house with very little decorum. It seemed that everything in the room served a function and very little that didn't serve a purpose could be found. She looked around the room and found a loveseat in front of a small TV, a dresser in one corner of the room and a bookshelf opposite it.

Natsuki set her keys down on the dresser and watched Shizuru meander around the room for a moment before interrupting. "It's not much, I know, but you can stay here as long as you need. Come, I'll show you to the spare bedroom."

Shizuru followed Natsuki down a short hallway and to the first door on the right. She opened it onto a nearly bare room with a small bed and little else. Shizuru winced at the lack of furnishing or decoration and Natsuki seemed taken aback. "Again, I know it's not much but you'll be safe here."

"I know." Shizuru felt terrible for her reaction. Natsuki had been nothing but gracious, offering her home for as long as she might need when she had no reason to, but she was used to opulence and it was hard going back down to nothing. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to act like a spoiled child. Thank you for helping me out, even though you had no reason to."

A slight blush crept up Natsuki's cheeks and peeked above the collar of her work shirt. She looked away and bit her lip. "We're friends, right? This is what friends do for each other." Silence reigned as the two women tried to control the torrent of emotion that swirled around them. Natsuki shook it off first and continued her tour, walking out into the hallway win Shizuru in tow. "Anyway, across from you is the bathroom and all the way down the hall is my bedroom. If you need anything feel free to knock."

Shizuru's eyes were all for the bathroom. It had been at least a day since her last bath and she desperately wanted one. "Do you mind if I take a bath? It's been a long day."

"No, go right ahead." Natsuki smiled, a warm smile that caused Shizuru's own mouth to curl up at the edges. "The water gets pretty hot so be careful unless you want to get burned."

Shizuru returned the smile. "I like it hot." She then remembered that she hadn't brought a change of clothes, a problem she could rectify in the morning but for now left her with no recourse but to ask another favor of Natsuki. "I forgot to bring any clothes, do you have something I can wear?"

Natsuki seemed flustered for a moment, but then seemed to shake it off. "Sure, follow me."

Shizuru followed her into her room which seemed diametrically opposed to the rest of the house. Only the bed and a couple of wardrobes served a purpose in this room, the rest of the space seemed to be occupied by pictures, a shelf set on the wall displayed several trophies, most for high school sports. Natsuki opened one of the wardrobes and Shizuru peeked over her shoulder. Inside were rows and rows of lingerie, from sleek satin slips to lacy underwear and even a corset were hanging from the rack with several drawers she imagined were full of similar articles. Natsuki took a white satin gown and a pair of panties from their hooks and handed them to Shizuru without looking at her. "You can wear these, but I would like them back."

Shizuru was surprised to find a more sensual side to Natsuki, the kind of woman who wore satin underwear and sheer slips of silk. Shizuru's smile unconsciously grew as Natsuki had apparently had enough and closed the wardrobe doors in haste. "I've never shown anybody those before. You can't tell anyone, understand?"

"My lady, I'll take your secret to the grave."

Shizuru walked away to the bathroom feeling Natsuki's blush and the tension that was quickly mounting between them. She ran the bathwater, making sure it wasn't too hot as Natsuki had warned, then dipped herself in and sighed as the warm water soothed and caressed her in the way that only water can.

She lay in the water for long minutes, running a washcloth over her arms and down her chest, across her taut stomach and down her long, toned legs. She closed her eyes and let her mind wander, to the distant shores of her imagination and the alternate world she lived in where she was in command of everything. The sun rose and set at her command and the people played out the scenes that ran through her mind. She heard a knock on the door and realized it had been an hour since she had stepped into the bath. "Hey, are you okay in there? It's been an hour."

Shizuru quickly got out and drained the tub, putting on the panties and sleeping gown that Natsuki had gotten for her. She relished the feel of the fabric on her skin, the way the sheer white satin flowed around her form and accented her curves. She opened the door ready to apologize and was stunned by Natsuki's reaction. She was openly staring at her.

They stood in the hallway as a minute passed, then two minutes. Natsuki's jaw was practically on the floor seeing Shizuru in the beautiful white gown. Shizuru's skin was red, partly from the bath but also from the deep blush that had taken over her. She had never considered herself to be a beauty and always felt her mind was her sexiest trait but the way Natsuki was looking at her made her feel differently.

Natsuki cleared her throat and turned away before her thoughts overtook her logic. "I...just wanted to check on you. You were in there for a while." She smiled, Shizuru could see the corners of her mouth turn up. "That looks beautiful on you. Like it was meant for you or something."

Natsuki walked away to her room and Shizuru made for the living room and sat on the couch. She heard the door to the bathroom close and the shower come on then decided to look around the room and see what else she could learn of the mysterious woman. She looked through the drawers of the dresser and found only utilitarian things, cleaning supplies and towels, a few coasters and a bottle of cleaning solution. She looked through the bookshelf, starting from the bottom and working her way up to the top shelf which only had four books on it. She was surprised to see that the books were all written by her; The Rise of Helen, Release Me, The Knight Skye and even White Wolf Whispers all first editions and all were in immaculate condition. She took out The Knight Skye, it had always been one of her favorite stories and she had enjoyed the success it had found. She opened it up to the first page and her jaw hung slack. Written on the back of the cover, in her unmistakeable handwriting, were the words:

_To My Greatest Fan, Kuga Natsuki_

_Love, Fujino Shizuru_

Her mind reeled. _Have we met before?_ She set the book back on the shelf and opened each book in turn, each one bore the same inscription in her handwriting. _Remarkable._

"I guess you wouldn't remember me." She turned around, White Wolf Whispers still in her hand, and saw Natsuki drying her long hair wearing a tank top and a pair of boy shorts. "You probably have thousands of fans and I'm no one special, but I've always been a huge fan of yours. Those books are my collection, and they're precious to me."

Shizuru scoured her memory of the signings she had done, even as recent as White Wolf Whispers, until a memory surfaced from years ago at a signing for The Knight Skye.

Shizuru had finished up for the day and had stepped out the back door for some fresh air when she noticed a young woman pacing about angrily and punching anything nearby holding a copy of her book. Shizuru watched her quizzically until the woman noticed she was there and straightened herself out. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you there. Ms. Fujino?" The look of surprise on the woman's face was priceless.

"What's wrong, if I may ask?"

The young woman blushed and opened her book to the first page. It was empty. "You signed a copy of my book and I was so happy but I had set it down to use the restroom and when I came back out it was gone. Someone replaced it with this one and I'm pretty pissed at whoever did it."

Shizuru smiled her ladykiller smile at the girl and took the pen out of her pocket with a flashy, practiced motion. "That's easily fixed, all you have to do is say please."

The woman bit her lip, her eyes darting around the alley looking at everything but her. She held the book up to Shizuru who was approaching her. "Please."

Her voice was low and unsure, and her hands shook as Shizuru scrawled her name across the empty page. When she was done Shizuru leaned over and planted a kiss on the girl's cheek. She turned as red as an apple and shut the book, thanked her for her autograph and made her way quickly out of the alleyway. Shizuru's smile spread ear to ear as she walked back into the bookstore where Tomoe was waiting for her. She had never told Tomoe about the woman in the alley and she never thought she would meet her again.

Yet here she stood, a beautiful woman who was kind enough to let a stranger stay in her house. "I do remember you."

"Really?"

The joy in Natsuki's voice was apparent and it lightened Shizuru's soul to hear it. "I remember because everyone was smiling that day; they smiled at their books, smiled at the pen as I wrote, at my name on their inside covers, at the cameras as they took pictures, but you were the only one to smile at me. It made me feel special."

Her eyes were wet with tears, she noticed that Natsuki's were the same. Natsuki put a hand on her bare shoulder and the touch was electric. She wondered if Natsuki felt it too. "You are special, Shizuru." The tension was thick enough to cut but neither of them had a knife so they stood together for a moment before Natsuki finally pulled away. "I'm...pretty tired, so I'm going to bed. In the morning I'll take you to get your car then you can head home and get whatever you need. You can stay as long as you need to."

"Thank you so much for everything."

Natsuki looked at her with a rare smile on her face. "It's the least I can do."

She heard the door to Natsuki's room close, set the books back in their proper order and headed for her own room. She slid under the covers of her bed, surprised to find that the sheets were Egyptian cotton and felt like clouds covering her and, coupled with the satin of the gown she wore, made her feel like she was in heaven. _If I had some company under these sheets then I would be in heaven._ Her last thoughts before sleep were of the blue-haired woman that she had, apparently, met at least four times before but only recently had gotten to know.


	6. Chapter 6

**The Space Between**

Midori sat at her desk and drew from the flask that sat on it, a long slow pull that had long ago stopped burning for the troubled detective. She had made no headway on the 'werewolf' case and it was starting to trouble her deeply. _How could this guy have no motive and leave no trace? This is ridiculous._

She brushed an errant red hair from her face and slumped over, the only person in the station and for miles around, it seemed. The building was eerily quiet without the sounds of hustle and bustle and she found the quiet brought her solace in times of great stress. _And they rarely get more stressful than this._

She took another long pull from the flask and stood, ready to head home and face what had to be faced. Youko's daughter, Nina, had arrived earlier in the afternoon while Midori was still at work. She would never say it in front of her girlfriend but Midori was very nervous about meeting the girl. _What is she like? What if she and I don't get along? What if she freaks out because her parents are both women?_

The questions ran through her mind as she locked the doors to the station behind her and walked to her car. The drive was long and slow, Midori's stomach did backflips in her abdomen and her heart beat so loud in her chest she swore she was at a concert. She nervously ran through all the scenarios she could picture in her mind. She raves about her and Youko's relationship and goes back to her old family, she and Midori disagree and she has to deal with Youko's ire until she settles it, the girl is a delinquent and Midori ends up arresting her.

Her imaginings got even more outlandish as she pulled into the driveway and walked up to her door. She turned the key slowly, surely and stepped inside the house. Nina, Youko's long lost daughter, was sitting on the couch facing away from her. She turned her head to see who it was and Midori's breath caught in her lungs, other than the age difference Nina and Youko could have been sisters. She had the same dark hair as Youko but she wore it long where Youko cut it short, her eyes were the same blue hue and her ears were small and close to her face like her mother's.

Youko walked in from the kitchen and embraced her girlfriend, giving her a gentle kiss on the cheek. Nina's and Midori's eyes were on each other, sizing each other up and Midori's stomach lurched. "Midori, this is my daughter Nina. Nina, this is my girlfriend Midori." Youko chuckled, "She'll be your step mom."

Nina stood and approached, her eyes never leaving Midori's. A shiver ran down Midori's spine, she had never felt such apathy from another human being. It was obvious to her that Nina didn't really care who she was and it threw Midori for a curve, she had envisioned a lot of scenarios in which she had a myriad of reactions, but she never imagined that Nina would do nothing. Nina held out a hand and Midori shook it and was surprised by the strength of her grip. "It's nice to meet you."

Her voice betrayed nothing; happiness, sadness or anger. Merely indifference, the same thing she found when she looked in her eyes. "It's nice to meet you, Nina."

Youko leaned over her shoulder and gave her a kiss on the cheek, her excitement was obvious. "I knew you two would hit it off. Dinner will be ready in ten minutes so wash up, Nina. You too, honey." Youko bounded off to the kitchen leaving Midori and Nina alone in the living room.

Midori looked down at her step daughter and gave her a smile expecting one in return. She was disappointed. "Your mother is really happy that you're here."

"Are you?"

Her voice added an extra emphasis to the words, the almost emotionless way that she spoke made them hit her all the harder. "Of course." Midori put her hand on Nina's shoulder and gripped a little harder than she needed to. "There's a bathroom downstairs, just down the hall across from your room. Go get ready for dinner, okay?"

Nina quietly walked towards the hallway and Midori was left with a cold feeling. A feeling of worry, she had seen the signs before. Something had happened to this girl that left her like this and Midori was determined to ask her about it.

Ten minutes later and Youko had laid out a veritable feast on the dinner table. Midori entertained herself with the idea that the table would collapse from all the food set on top of it. Youko set a place for Midori at the head of the table and sat next to her with Nina directly across from her. Midori noticed a roasted chicken on the table and smiled, Youko had remembered her favorite food.

They ate and Midori found Youko's excitement to be infectious. She was starting to like family life. After Youko cut up a pie for the three of them Midori turned to Nina. "So, what made you want to move out here, if I may ask?"

Youko shot her an angry glare. "Midori, don't interrogate her. She just got here."

"I don't mind." Midori saw something flash in Nina's eyes, regret. "The family that adopted me, the Yamanos, they must have adopted me because they were having trouble conceiving. Well, not long after I showed up they were successful and Ms. Yamano had a son, Yamano Hiro. After that everything changed. They started ignoring me, yelling at me, only feeding me what he wouldn't eat. It got bad."

Midori recognized the anger in her voice. "I dealt with it until a month ago. I got home late from school and the old man started yelling and cussing at me, saying I was worthless and that I'd never amount to anything. I yelled back, I was pissed. Then he took a swing at me, so I grabbed a lamp and laid him out with it. After that Ms. Yamano wouldn't even look at me. Hiro tried to fight me over it but I beat him up too. Then she kicked me out and I called the only person I could think of that would help me."

She heard sobbing from next to her and noticed that Youko had tears falling freely down her face, her eyes red and puffy and her breath hitching. She was crying. Before she could react Nina had stood up, moved around the table and wrapped her mother in a warm embrace. "I'm sorry." Youko managed through choked sobs. "I'm so sorry. I've always hated myself for what I did to you, and now I hate myself even more."

Nina held her crying mother, running a hand though her short hair until the tears passed. "It's not your fault, mom. I don't blame you." Youko and Nina shared a look. "I want to get to know you."

Youko wiped the tears from her eyes. "I want that too."

Midori watched the scene with a critical eye, trying to discern more about Youko's daughter. She was truthful and forthright, she had done some research into the girl and had come up with the same scenario she had just described and the way she comforted her mother was touching. Midori's lip curled up into a smile, she was starting to like this girl.

After dinner Midori got up to clear the table but Nina insisted and took all the dishes to the kitchen sink. Midori got up from the table and plopped down onto the couch, sinking into it with a sigh. She felt hands on her shoulders start to massage her and she closed her eyes. Arms wrapped around her shoulders and she felt a face nuzzle her neck. Youko turned her head and kissed her. "I love you, Midori."

"I love you too, babe."

"I'm going to get ready for bed. Don't stay up too late."

Youko walked to their bedroom and Midori sat down with a glass of water and opened a book that she had been trying to read since the case started. It was difficult, not because she wasn't a strong reader but because the book itself wasn't well written. White Wolf Whispers did not rank amongst her favorite books. She heard footsteps and spotted Nina out of the corner of her eye. She sat down next to Midori, who set the book down and faced her. "I'm sorry about bringing up the past, it was wrong of me. I appreciate your honesty, though."

"It's okay. I would rather have it out now than have to deal with it later."

She was finding herself more and more impressed with her daughter, something that she was still struggling with accepting. "Your mom is really happy that you're here. She beat herself up for a long time about giving you up. I have to admit that I'm starting to like you, too."

A smile struggled to escape Nina's face and she recognized it. "Thanks...mom." She stretched and yawned in the same way that Youko did. Midori found it adorable. "It's been a long day, I'm going to bed."

"Good night."

Nina walked away and Midori leaned back and closed her eyes. She had started out apprehensive about the situation, but she found herself enjoying Nina's company, and Youko was definitely happier which meant that she was happier. When she finally went to bed she wrapped herself around Youko and, for once, she didn't dread having to wake up in the morning.

-WWW-

Natsuki woke up with a groan and hit the snooze on her alarm. She hated the morning shifts. She got up and groggily made her way to her bathroom, turned on the shower and let the cold water wake her up. She threw on a pair of work slacks and a collared shirt and walked out to the living room where Shizuru was sitting in her sofa waiting for her. She had changed out of the satin slip, Natsuki found herself disappointed. "Good morning, Shizuru."

"Good morning." Shizuru smirked up at her as she approached. "So it's first names now, is it Natsuki?"

"I thought since you were staying with me and wearing my night clothes that it was a given." Natsuki's eyes lit up with mirth. "Where is my nightgown, by the way?" Shizuru handed her the gown, properly folded, and Natsuki set it aside. "I'll have to wash that later." Natsuki snatched her car keys and wallet from the dresser in the living room and grabbed her helmet. "Are you ready to go?"

Shizuru already had the spare helmet in her lap, she stood up and followed Natsuki out the door. Natsuki locked the door behind her and walked with Shizuru out to her motorcycle. She helped her put the helmet on, making the sure the straps were good and tight before mounting the bike. She felt it shift as Shizuru did the same and she felt a stirring when hands wrapped around her waist. She let out a sign and leaned back into Shizuru's arms, who asked, "Is something wrong?"

Natsuki realized what she was doing and righted herself quickly. "Just making sure you're okay." She kicked the bike on, thankful that her flimsy excuse had seemed to have passed Shizuru's notice, and pulled out into the street. She was careful not to overdo it as Shizuru wasn't used to such things which made her arrive at the diner nearly ten minutes passed her scheduled time. She mentally slapped herself, she was sure to get a talking to from Mai about it.

Shizuru dismounted first followed by Natsuki. Shizuru wavered a bit and Natsuki put her hands out to steady her, when she didn't fall Natsuki's momentum pulled her into an accidental hug. They stood, both frozen by the closeness of the other. Natsuki could feel the woman's body heat, the softness of her skin, the feel of curves. She could smell the perfume she had put on this morning, a sweet scent that tickled her nostrils.

They pulled apart, both embarrassed by the sudden contact. Natsuki bit her lip and tried to find something to keep her eyes other than the beautiful woman before her. "I'm sorry, I thought you were going to fall so I went to catch you, then..."

Shizuru scratched the back of her head, a tic that Natsuki found to mean that she was nervous. It eased her to know that she wasn't the only one. "Don't worry about it." She batted her eyelashes at Natsuki and smiled a sly smile at her, "It wasn't all bad." Natsuki took that smile with her for the rest of the day. "I'm going back to the house to get some things. What time do you get off work?"

"Six o'clock, I've got a long shift today." Natsuki took out her wallet and pulled a key from it then handed it to Shizuru. "Here, it's a key to my house. Use it whenever you need to."

"Thanks."

They stood face-to-face, neither speaking but neither wanting to walk away. Shizuru held her hands behind her back and rocked back and forth as the seconds ticked away. They fell into an odd contest to see who would give in first. Natsuki looked off to the door when she noticed she was fifteen minutes late for work. "I've got to go, see you later."

"Okay."

Natsuki unlocked the diner and set to opening the kitchen. Like she had predicted earlier, Mai came into the kitchen with fire and brimstone. "Fifteen minutes, Natsuki? Do you realize that we open in five minutes?"

"I know, Mai, I'm sorry."

Mai sighed. "Whatever, just get it done." Natsuki returned to the grill but Mai lingered, Natsuki waited for what was coming. "So, I heard that you took the writer home last night." Of course Mai knew about that, that woman was an addict for gossip, she hoarded and devoured it. "I'll take your silence to mean that I heard right."

Natsuki shrugged nonchalantly, if she gave Mai any encouragement this could get way out of hand. "She needed a place to stay after the incident. You know that she was targeted right?"

"I did hear about that. Didn't she find a body on her porch?"

Natsuki confirmed it. "The cops seem to think that it's a warning, that the killer is somehow after her."

"Who would want to hurt her? She's a nice woman."

"She's a writer, it could be any number of things; a crazed fan or a stalker or someone who believes she stole their story. That kind of thing."

"Speaking of crazed fan," Mai wasn't about to let the subject fall to the wayside, "how was it?'

"How was what?"

"Being with her?"

Natsuki rolled her eyes as she turned to setting the ovens. "I wasn't 'with' her, okay. She's using my spare bedroom while the cops look for the killer. It's not like we're sleeping together."

"But you're thinking about it, aren't you?" Natsuki's face turned red and Mai nearly clapped at the reaction. Natsuki mentally kicked herself for feeding the gossip. "I knew it. Busted."

"Alright." Natsuki's head was starting to hurt and she wanted an end to this bizarre inquisition. "If I admit that I'm attracted to her, will you drop the issue?" Mai nodded that yes she absolutely would. "Then yes, I am attracted to her."

Mai's smile reached to her ears and beyond, in the time that she had known Natsuki she had found her to be self-centered and anti-social. In the two weeks since Shizuru had started eating at the diner she had noticed an increase in Natsuki's confidence and her performance. She had even seen Natsuki chatting with someone and when she asked who it was Natsuki just shrugged. She couldn't set aside the possibility that Shizuru was a good influence on her. "That's good, so when are you going to ask her out?"

"You promised to drop the issue, so drop it."

"Come on, I tell you all about me and Yuuichi's relationship and you've never had a relationship to talk about until now."  
"I still don't, other than the one you've made up for me in that stupid head of yours. Drop it, Mai."

Mai threw her hands in the air in defeat. "Fine, okay it's dropped. But this isn't over, ice queen, not by a long shot."

Mai flew off in a huff back towards the counter and Natsuki breathed a sigh of relief. She had been hoping to bury herself in work to avoid thoughts of the brunette woman that was sharing her home but it seemed that she couldn't escape her anywhere. _What if I'm attracted to her? It doesn't mean we're engaged, does it? I think she's sexy and smart, and I like the way she writes and talks, and looks in my lingerie. Enough._ The bell rang in the front signaling that she had an order so she shook off her thoughts and got to work.

The lunch rush ended at two and Natsuki set herself to cleaning everything and readying the kitchen for the next shift. Without the constant monotony of the busy kitchen she found her thoughts free to wander. She had spent the majority of her life trying to avoid her feelings. First drugs and then women, she only used these things so that she didn't have to feel anything real, because those real feelings manifested in scary ways in her. Her affliction made it dangerous for her to express her emotions, but with Shizuru things were different. Her defenses were somehow ineffective against her new brunette adversary whose charm broke through her into her core. It didn't help that she had been infatuated with the woman's writing.

She was cleaning the prep table when she heard Mai's voice call out, "Natsuki, it's for you."

She walked towards the front of the store and looked to confirm her suspicions. Sure enough, Shizuru was talking to Mai at the front counter. It seemed that Mai was giving Shizuru the same grilling that she had given Natsuki, only Shizuru was a lot better at it.

"So what's it like at Natsuki's place?"

The smirk that Shizuru wore fit her perfectly and drew Mai further into her web. "I don't really know, all I got a good look at was the bedroom."

"No." Mai seemed taken aback, the look on her face made it apparent.

"Oh, and the bathroom."

Natsuki smiled, she had Mai wrapped around her finger. She admired Shizuru's penchant for mind games, she certainly didn't have the talent. Natsuki was a very straightforward woman who meant what she said and said what she meant. If she had a problem with you she would tell you after blacking your eyes.

"So there I am in her night gown..." Natsuki stepped out from the kitchen and interrupted Shizuru's story before it got out of hand. Shizuru faced her with a warm smile that melted through her icy exterior and into her heart. "Hi."

"Hi."

Shizuru leaned in close and gave Natsuki a quick kiss on the cheek causing her to blush and Mai to chuckle like mad. Natsuki remembered the day she had her copy of White Wolf Whispers autographed and the kiss Shizuru had planted on her cheek then. The memory nearly brought a tear to her eyes. "I'll just leave you love birds alone."

She headed off to the back leaving only Shizuru and Natsuki in the restaurant. Natsuki looked at Shizuru with a grin. "What kind of stories are you spreading about me, now?"

"I thought you liked my stories, Natsuki?"

"I do, it's just..." Natsuki bit her lip. "Rumors spread in a small town, they spread pretty quickly. Mai is the carrier, she spreads the rumors and before long everybody's heard about it."

"I'm sorry to ruin your reputation." The sound of Shizuru's voice was almost mocking. "I was just having some fun. And speaking of, how about you and I go to dinner tonight, hmm? I know this place in the city, not too far from here and I thought it would be a nice change of pace to the diner."

"That's pretty far, Shizuru, and I wasn't planning on doing anything tonight. You see, I've got this thing tomorrow and..."

"Oh, then nevermind." The way Shizuru's face turned down made Natsuki's stomach flip and all she wanted to do was hold her and tell her it would be okay. "I just thought it would be a nice thank you for letting me stay in your house. I...have an ulterior motice for wanting to go to dinner with you." Shizuru looked sheepishly away. "I wanted to get to know you better."

Shizuru's words pierced through to Natsuki's heart and she thought over skipping her weekly visit to her parent's house and the bad memories that still lingered there. The house had become something of a ritual for her, it kept her more focused during the week and helped her control her more base urges. But as she looked at Shizuru she made a decision. "Actually, I'd love to go with you."

Shizuru perked up at the news, even letting out a mirthful, "Yay". It made Natsuki laugh. "So, I'm going to get ready. I guess I'll see you later."

"Bye."

Shizuru left the diner with a new kick in her step and Natsuki walked back to the kitchen with a new smile. Shizuru had a way of making her smile, of making her feel good about herself and that was a rare thing for the reclusive Natsuki. She had no history with this sort of thing, the only women in her life so far had only shown her attention for one night before they were gone, but Natsuki was willing to learn.

As she crossed the kitchen to the back table a familiar feeling struck her, the feeling of being attacked from the inside. She gripped her chest and tried to control her breathing, something that she had been working on to master the change before it came over her. It held the beast at bay, but she could still feel it clawing at her insides, could still hear it's voice in her head. A voice that she had heard since she was a little girl. Her father's voice. **Come, Natsuki, and let's be free together.**

_No_. She fell to her knees, her breath coming hard and ragged in her chest. _No, I won't let you win._

**Win? I'm you, Natsuki.**

_No you're not._ She fought against her father, the beast, falling to her knees holding her chest to keep herself in control. She gritted her teeth against the pain as her inner organs shifted signalling the change that would soon be upon her if she wasn't able to stop it.

**Of course I am, Natsuki, now come and join me in hell.**

"No."

She shouted as she brought herself under control, forcing the change back and banishing the voice from her thoughts. Mai heard her shout and ran in to find her kneeling near the table holding her chest and breathing hard. "What's wrong?" She ran across the room and kneeled beside her, unsure of what to do next. "Talk to me, Natsuki."

Natsuki caught her breath and looked around her, momentarily disoriented. She shook her head and her vision cleared. Mai came into focus above her and she realized that she was lying on the floor. "Come on, talk to me."

Natsuki pushed her hands away and sat up, Mai sat back on her feet with a look of worry on her face. "I'm fine."

"You don't look fine, you look pale. How long has it been since you've eaten?" Natsuki shrugged and Mai pursed her lips. "You've got to take better care of yourself. One of these days you're not going to get back up, Natsuki."

She dismissed Mai's worries entirely focused on the voice in her head, the voice of her father Kuga Renzo. He had been a musician in his earlier life and in his middle age he had chosen to settle down in idyllic Fuuka with his love Saeko and daughter Natsuki. They had lived a great life then, her father teaching her how to play the guitar and her mother always around with warm hugs and hot food. Those were the halcyon days and Natsuki cherished those memories, but they weren't the only childhood memories she had.

As she grew older Natsuki noticed that her father would disappear for days on end and then return like nothing had ever happened. Her mother never seemed to acknowledge his absence and when Natsuki confronted her about it she merely wrote it off as if it were nothing to be worried about. But Natsuki was worried.

It was about that time that the dreams had started, wolf dreams where she ran on all fours through the dark forests hunting and killing to survive. She was frightened by their realism, but neither her father or mother would talk to her about them. Her mother wrote it off as a child's mind at play and her father seemed worried but didn't respond.

One night she awoke from one of the wolf dreams to a horrible sound, the sound of her mother screaming. She rolled quickly out of bed and to her door. She opened it a sliver and what she saw nearly made her faint. A half-man, half-wolf creature stood in their living room which had been torn apart, it's hunched form and slavering jaws made it a thing of nightmares. She noticed it's eyes were green and immediately recognized it for who it was. _Father_. Her mother lay on the ground with a gun in her hand, several gashes across her chest and abdomen bled freely as she pointed the gun at the creature with her fafher's eyes. "Stay away from me, beast."

The beast roared and looked to charge so she fired, Natsuki covered her ears against the gun's retort. The bullet struck the creature in the chest, right where the heart would be, and it went down screaming. She fired again and hit it in the head. Afterwards it lay still. unmoving, her father's eyes went dead.

Natsuki ran from the room and passed the creature, whose body was twisting and comforting even in death, and ran to her mother's side. She knelt beside her and wrapped her arms around her. "Mom, what was that?"

"I didn't know." Her eyes were wet with tears, as we're Natsuki's. "I'm so sorry that I did this to you, Natsuki. I'm so sorry." Saeko's eyes closed and her head laid back as she passed out from blood loss.

Natsuki immediately called the police, who responded quickly and were led into the room by an anxious Natsuki who was shocked to see the body of her father with two bullet wounds in him and her mother with the gun passed out on the floor. To spite her word to the contrary there was no evidence that her father was a shape shifting monster. Kuga Saeko had been charged with the murder of her husband and was sentenced to life in prison. Natsuki went into foster care and took a lot of drugs and drank a lot of alcohol to forget that night, but the voice wouldn't let her forget. Neither would the change.

She got to her feet and Mai shook off the weakness that had taken hold in her, shook off the pain and stood up straight. "I'm fine now. Thanks." Mai's concern didn't abate so Natsuki returned to her work. "I'm fine, really. Don't worry about it."

"Maybe you should go to the hospital."

"I'm fine, Mai. Please don't worry about it."

Mai eyed her warily as she walked back to the front counter and Natsuki returned to her work to finish out her shift. Her father had changed and tried to kill her mother, who was now locked away behind bars for the rest of her life for defending herself. _What if I do the same to Shizuru?_

That thought consumed her until her shift ended and through her ride back home. It consumed her as she turned the key and opened the door to her house. It stopped when she saw Shizuru sitting on her couch in a lavender dress that seemed to bring life to her crimson eyes which were entirely focused on the computer in her lap.

She looked up when she noticed Natsuki walk by and smiled up at her. Natsuki stopped on her way to her bedroom. "I'm going to take a quick shower."

"Wear something nice, it's kind of a fancy place."

Natsuki winced when she heard that, she tended not to like fancy places because she wasn't built for it. She dug through her closet looking for something appropriate and found an old dress of hers in the back of her closet. She had only ever worn it once, it had been to high-class party a few years ago and she had left that party with an ugly woman and a hangover. She had tossed both of those things out but kept the dress.

She took a quick, cold shower and slipped into the backless blue dress, the skirt stopping just above her knees. When she walked down the hallway into the living room Shizuru looked up from her computer and openly gawked at her. Her eyes travelled the length of her body taking in her long, silken legs up her tight, toned body passed her petite breasts and finally up to her eyes. Her gaze sent a shiver through Natsuki wherever it passed, she was thrilled to be on the other side of their flirtatious game.

Natsuki slid her hands behind her neck and rolled her hair into a loose ponytail, thrusting her chest out enough to draw the woman's attention. "How do I look?"

Shizuru didn't answer immediately, her eyes were drawn to Natsuki's chest and wouldn't move until she had properly explored them. "You look ... amazing." Shizuru was happy to see a more elegant side to the woman, having only seen her rugged side thus far. Natsuki cut a beautiful figure in a dress, not that she expected to see her in one very often.

A knock on the door distracted them from their flirtatious game and Natsuki went to answer the door, feeling eyes on her backside and smirking at the thought. She opened the door and the red-head that had been standing there pushed her way through the door. "Hey, Kuga, why are you all dressed up? Got a hot ... date." She noticed Shizuru getting up from the chair she had been sitting in wearing her lavender dress and looked back to Natsuki who was also dressed up. "Woah, you do have a hot date. Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt."

"It's not like that. We're just...going out to dinner at a romantic restaurant, that's all."

Shizuru chuckled at Natsuki's apparent nervousness. In the interest of maintaining good relations with the woman she decided to throw her a bone and bail her out of the uncomfortable situation. "I'm taking her out to dinner as a thank you for letting me stay in her house."

"Oh, well that's nice. Can I come?"

"No." Both of the women said at once, then faced each other and laughed. Nao pouted. "Fine, then. I'll catch you next time, Kuga."

She left and Natsuki grabbed her bike helmet from the counter that she usually laid it on. "What are you doing?" Natsuki stood stock still like she had been caught shoplifting. "We're taking the convertible."

Natsuki walked side-by-side with Shizuru out to where she had parked her car, on the sidewalk just down the street. Natsuki admired the sleek red car with it's sleek lines and sexy curves. She opened the door and slid in sinking into the leather seats with a sigh. Shizuru started the car and the deep hum of the engine caught Natsuki off guard. Shizuru hit a switch and the top rolled back. The engine growled as Shizuru hit the gas and pulled out onto the street.

When they hit the highway, Shizuru gunned the engine and the car rocketed forward. Natsuki was happy that she had tied her hair back because she was sure the wind would have ripped it off by now. Shizuru hadn't so her hair flew behind her in light brown waves as they made it to the city in half the time it would take driving the speed limit.

The restaurant was a cozy affair, the walls were lined with paintings in the modern style, velvet curtains covered the windows while soft classical music played in the background. They were shown to a table next to window and Shizuru ordered them a bottle of wine whose cost made Natsuki turn white but Shizuru insisted. Natsuki turned her attention to the curtains, feeling the fabric in her hands she closed her eyes and Shizuru could only imagine the thoughts running behind them.

"Do you like the curtains?"

"I love the fabric." Natsuki cradled it against her cheek causing Shizuru to smile at the girlish sight, something she had never thought she would see in the stoic woman. "I have a thing for fabrics, I guess that's why I collect lingerie. It makes me feel...good." Shizuru filed the information in her mind under Natsuki, Likes and Dislikes for future use.

Natsuki returned the curtain to it's place over the window and turned her attention to the rest of the restaurant. Her eyes wandered everywhere but in front of her, she was avoiding Shizuru's gaze. "This is a nice place. Have you been here before?"

"Once before." Shizuru seemed to drift away, most likely thinking about the last time she had been here. Natsuki was curious, but didn't ask her about it. "With my ex-girlfriend. She brought me here for my birthday one year, but as always the entire evening was about her."

Natsuki wanted to know more, needed to know more about the woman across from her. The memory of her father lying on the ground flashed through her mind but she pushed it aside. "Why did you break up, if I may ask?"

Shizuru's answer was simple, but her face said that it wasn't. "I had no feelings for her."

"Oh."

"What about you? Any exes I should know about?"

Shizuru's smile disarmed her and Natsuki found herself willing to answer the question. The image of her mother in prison for the rest of her life flashed through her mind but, again, she pushed it aside. "I'm a solitary person, I've never really had anyone in my life."

"No one? No family or friends?"

"My family..." She again thought of her father on the floor with blood pooling around his body while his mother lay with claw marks across her body. She didn't respond and Shizuru must have recognized the look in her eyes because she let the issue die.

The bottle of wine arrived and Shizuru poured out two glasses then handed one to Natsuki. Natsuki was about to take a drink when she noticed that Shizuru was holding her glass out for a toast. "Thank you, Natsuki, for sheltering me in my time of need."

A blush crept up Natsuki's face. "It's no big deal."

"Not to you, maybe."

They drank, Shizuru taking a sip while Natsuki nearly downed the glass. Her head was swimming afterwards and she realized that the wine was stronger than what she was used to. She shook off the drowsiness and only sipped at the wine for the rest of the night.

"So, tell me something about yourself."

The question Natsuki had been dreading during the long car ride, she had no idea how to answer the question having never been asked it before. "Like what?"

"Anything, like what you like to do, or your favorite color. Something like that."

Natsuki reached for something that would appease the brunette but couldn't come up with anything meaningful. "I don't know, orange."

"Orange what?"

"I don't know, favorite color I guess. I haven't really thought about it. There's nothing to know about me."

Shizuru leaned forward on her elbows and smiled her ladykiller smile. "That's not true, because if there's nothing to know about you then I would know eveything about you because I know nothing about you, but since I don't know everything about you then there must be something to know about you."

_What?_ Shizuru's smile didn't fade as Natsuki tried to undo the long knot of what she had said. Their food arrived when she came to the end and declared, "Why don't you start, then? Tell me something about you."

"I like you."

Natsuki was stunned by the simple answer and the blunt, bold way it was delivered. "What?"

"I like you."

Her mind screamed at her to run, to push Shizuru away for both of their sakes but her heart and her body wanted, even needed, the other woman. It was the perfect storm and she was caught in the middle of it. "Th...thank you."

Shizuru seemed taken aback. "Thank you? Okay." Natsuki shrugged, she had tried to take the middle road and feared she had angered the other woman. Shizuru wasn't angry, just perplexed by her response. She was trying to get closer to the woman and couldn't tell if she was succeeding or not.

Natsuki didn't want her any closer, she did have feelings for the woman but her affliction would eventually hurt Shizuru and most likely herself and she couldn't let that happen. "I appreciate how you feel and I'm sorry that I can't return those feelings. It's safer for both of us."

"Is that what you say to keep people from getting too close." Shizuru sounded hurt. "You play the tough role rather than be honest and just say that you don't have feelings for me. That's low."

"It's not that, Shizuru, but there are things about me that you don't know." Natsuki needed Shizuru to understand, it wasn't because she didn't have feelings for her, it was because she did that she needed to push her away. "It's better if we don't get too close."

"I wish you could trust me enough to tell me what it is."

"I'm sorry." She meant it in every sense of the word, she was sorry that she had hurt her, she was sorry that she couldn't express the feelings she secretly held, she was sorry that her affliction was going to drive them apart. She was just sorry.

"It's okay. I understand."

An awkward silence permeated the air and didn't let go, even after they left the restaurant and drove home it persisted. Even when they pulled into the driveway and walked into the house it persisted. Even when Natsuki closed the door to her room and lay in her bed it persisted. _I did the right thing so why does it feel so wrong?_

**-Author's Note-**I'd like to thank everyone for taking time out to read White Wolf Whispers, which has quickly become my favorite story to tell. I'm hoping to keep up with the so far quick updating as this is my only project and will remain my only project until it is completed. As always reviews are appreciated and I take them seriously so if there is anything bothering you about my story so far let me know.


	7. Chapter 7

**White Wolf Whispers**

Shizuru drove her red convertible down the street with the top down and the wind in her light brown hair. She had been thinking about Natsuki's response to her profession of like since their dinner four days earlier and it had been driving her crazy since. She had mentally kicked herself after she confessed to her, the entire drive home afterwards had been punctuated by her mentally chastising herself. Shizuru, however, was curious by nature so when Natsuki pushed her away Shizuru wanted to know why.

She had been poking around the house while Natsuki was at work, careful not to invade the woman's privacy, and had come up empty on what could be so dangerous about her. So she decided to ask the one person that Natsuki had mentioned as a friend. She was heading to the bookstore Read My Lips to talk to Yuuki Nao. She had never seen or spoken to the woman, only heard stories about her from her grandmother, Reiko who talked about her like she was an angel on earth, and a few of the townsfolk that Shizuru had spoken to around the diner. From the stories that she had heard about her, though, she wondered if the old woman merely refused to acknowledge her granddaughter's shady dealings or was going daft.

Either way, Shizuru was nervous about speaking to the woman as she pulled into the nearest parking space to the bookstore and walked the block distance towards the front door. She breathed deeply before she opened it and heard the bells chime and the warm, inviting voice of Reiko behind the counter. "Welcome. Oh, Ms. Fujino, it's good to see you."

"Ms. Yuuki, it's always a pleasure."

Shizuru crossed the room to the counter and leaned against it. "You know we still don't have any copies of White Wolf Whispers in stock, they sell out as fast as I get them. Maybe you can call your publisher and get them to send me a few more copies. I keep calling them but they keep saying they can't do it."

"I'll see what I can do." Shizuru had less pull than Reiko did with her publishers but she didn't want to bring the old woman down. "Is your granddaughter in right now? Could I speak to her?"

"Oh, sure. That lazy girl's probably still asleep. Just go up the stairs, her bedroom is the second door. Wake her up for me, would you."

Shizuru turned and found the stairs leading up to the second floor of the bookstore and to, what she assumed, was where Reiko and Nao lived. She found a nicely decorated and clean living area with a kitchen in front of her and the bedrooms to her left. She knocked on the second one and received a grunt in response. "I'm still sleeping, granny."

"Excuse me, is this Yuuki Nao?"

"Depends, who are you?"

The gruff, sleep addled voice that came through the door did nothing to calm Shizuru's nerves but she was determined to learn more about Natsuki, whatever it took. "This is Fujino Shizuru, I wanted to ask you a few questions."

"Fujino? Oh, Natsuki's girlfriend."

"We're not..." Shizuru wanted to explain to her how complicated her relationship with Natsuki was but thought it best to just keep it simple. "Yes, can I speak to you?"

A grunt came from the other side of the door followed by footsteps and the door opened a crack revealing a thin face with short cut red hair and bags under her eyes. She looked Shizuru up and down before making up her mind. "You can go sit down on the couch, I'll be a minute."

The door closed in her face so she did as she was asked and sat on the couch while she waited for Nao to come out of her room. After a minute she did and stumbled into the kitchen where her grandmother had left a pot of coffee on the stove. She poured herself a cup then looked over at the living room. "Do you want a cup of coffee?"

"Sure."

Nao poured a cup for Shizuru and walked over carrying both of them in her hands. Instead of handing one to Shizuru, though, she stopped just short of the couch. "Five dollars."

"What?"

"The coffee isn't free, woman. Five dollars."

Nao was completely serious and Shizuru was taken aback. Her nervousness increased and she rubbed her hands together. "Nevermind, then."

Nao rolled her eyes and handed Shizuru the cup of coffee. "Here, you can have Natsuki's employee discount."

Shizuru accepted the cup and sipped at it. "Natsuki has an employee discount?"

"Friend prices, whatever you want to call it." Nao sat down beside Shizuru on the long couch and took a long drink of the coffee in her hand. "So, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"It's about Natsuki."

Nao raised an eyebrow at her. "Oh, I thought you'd know a lot more about that than me by now." Shizuru looked perplexed. "Because you've had sex with her, right?"

"No." Shizuru's eyes bulged at the incredulous accusation. It wasn't for lack of wanting, but she hadn't thought about crossing that bridge with Natsuki yet.

"That's surprising." Nao took another long drink from her cup. "What do you want to know?"

Shizuru breathed deeply, she suddenly wasn't sure if she was ready for the answer to what Natsuki had been hiding. _What if it's too horrible to bear?_ "I went to dinner with Natsuki a few nights ago," Nao's face indicated that she already knew that and for her to continue. "and when we were talking it seemed like she was pushing me away."

Nao leaned forward. "Did you ask her about her past?"

"No."

Nao pursed her lips. "That's usually when it would happen for me. I used to ask her, I was just curious, but she would always clam up. She never talks about her past, ever. I know her mother's in prison, though. Natsuki used to visit her more often."

This was news to Shizuru who felt like she was on the right track. "What is she in for?"

"Killing her husband, Natsuki's father. She gunned him down right in the living room of their house. She tried saying that he had 'changed' somehow and attacked her but they never found any evidence of that."

Shizuru was struck by the story, she would never have imagined her past was so horrible. "Natsuki still goes out to that house about once a week. What she does out there I don't know, but I know that she always goes alone and stays the night. I used to entertain the notion of following her out there one day and seeing for myself what she does, but I started thinking that maybe I don't want the answer. Whatever it is, Natsuki wants to keep it private."

Nao had unwittingly put the idea of following Natsuki into Shizuru's head. "Have you noticed anything strange about her?"

"She doesn't get hurt. Ever."

This caught her attention. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that she doesn't ever get hurt. I've seen guys twice her size hit her and not leave a mark. In a fight a few weeks ago, I could swear that I saw a guy stab her in the stomach, but there was no wound. Once I watched her fall from a second story window right onto her arm and not break it."

Shizuru was perplexed by what she was learning. She had known that there a certain mystery to Natsuki, but it was looking like the mystery ran deeper than she knew. _How far am I willing to go to learn this woman's secrets?_ "How is that possible?"

"Beats me." Nao shrugged and finished the cup of coffee, setting the empty cup down on a nearby table with a clink. "I'm just glad I'm not the only one who notices it anymore."

By this point in the conversation, Shizuru had already decided on her course of action, she just needed a plan to see it done. Nao took the now empty coffee cup from her and the empty cup she had set down earlier and washed them out in the kitchen sink. "If you were to follow Natsuki out to her parent's house, how would you do it?"

It was Nao's turn to send a surprised look her way. "Do you actually mean to go through with it?" She recognized the determination in the brunette's face and smirked. "You really like her, don't you? Alright, I'll help you out, but none of this gets traced back to me. If you get caught I will deny that I even spoke to you."

"I understand."

"First off, you're going to need a new car because she'll spot yours coming a mile away. Get a hat and a large pair of sunglasses to hide your face."

"I have those."

"Good. Now for the details."

Shizuru sat and patiently listened to the details of the plan and had to admit that it was foolproof, especially with her new disguise. After she had discussed it at length with Nao the red-head asked, "Are you sure you're up for this. You may not want to know what you're about to find out. It might be better to just forget it."

"No, I want to know. I want to know everything about her." She did, more than she wanted anything else in the world, she wanted to unravel the mystery and find the real Natsuki. "I want..."

"Her to love you." It was quiet for a moment as Shizuru thought it over. "Then you really shouldn't do this. Just be patient, let her come to you with it."

"Thanks, Nao. I know what I'm doing."

Shizuru stood to leave and Nao went to escort her out. "Yeah, sure you do."

They walked together down the stairs and to the front door of the store, Shizuru shook Nao's hand. "Thanks for the help."

"Don't thank me yet, Fujino."

Nao went back inside and Shizuru lingered for a moment before walking to her car and heading back to Natsuki's house with the question in her mind of if she should go through with it. _What do I want from Natsuki? Do I want her love, or do I just want her body?_

She parked on the street in front of the house and used the key Natsuki had given her to open the door then headed to her room. The suitcases she had brought from her house sat neatly and organized in one corner of the room. She mentally noted which were which and grabbed the one for accessories and hats, taking out a large pair of aviator sunglasses and a wide brim hat. She tried them on and looked in a mirror, she was unrecognizable. "Perfect."

"I don't think so." Shizuru turned quickly towards the voice and nearly threw the sunglasses from her face. "If that's your new look I have to say I don't approve." Natsuki had been leaning against the door jam but crossed over the room as she spoke and took the glasses off of Shizuru's face. "They hide your beautiful eyes."

Shizuru was taken aback by the compliment, not expecting it after their dinner the other night. She had thought that Natsuki would find it extremely awkward between them. She had been wrong. "Hey Shizuru, if I happen to have rented a movie to watch would you watch it with me?"

Such a simple request and one that promised to bring Shizuru much happiness. "That sounds like fun, just give me a few minutes to get ready, okay?"

"I'm not in a hurry."

Shizuru found it an odd choice of words and as Natsuki left the room she couldn't help thinking what it meant. "Nor am I."

Shizuru tucked the hat and sunglasses back into their case for when she needed them again then ran a brush through her hair, she needed to wash it but she could do that tomorrow, tonight promised to be more intimate than the restaurant and she wanted to connect more with Natsuki. She gathered herself and left the safety of the bedroom and out into the living room.

Natsuki was in the kitchen and a loud popping sound rang around the room. She was wearing a pair of black boy shorts and a black tank top that stopped just above her belly button exposing her toned lower body to the already frustrated Shizuru. It was a special kind of hell reserved just for her. Natsuki turned her head when she became aware of her. "Do you like popcorn, Shizuru?"

"How many people have you met that don't?"

"Touché."

Shizuru sat down on the couch and only waited a minute before the cushion shifted and Natsuki sat down just out of arm's reach away. Shizuru was put off by it until Natsuki slid a little closer on the couch and set the bowl of popcorn between them. Natsuki must have seen something of Shizuru's inner monologue because she sat up and slid back across the couch. "If this is weird then we can stop."

"No." Shizuru had been thinking something was weird, but it wasn't the situation. It was something that Nao had said that she had been pondering. "Friends do this kind of thing."

Natsuki slid closer to where she and Shizuru were nearly touching at the shoulders. Shizuru felt the distance between them acutely, measuring the distance of pure agony that lay between them. Shizuru had come to care for Natsuki and was starting to rethink her plan of following her. _She'll come to me when she's ready._

Shizuru didn't remember the movie, something about samurai and an evil conqueror, but by the end she was struggling to keep her eyes open. The empty bowl lay on the floor and Shizuru was draped against Natsuki with her head resting on her shoulder. Natsuki wrapped an arm around Shizuru and heard a sigh from her shoulder. Shizuru had never felt so comfortable, so warm. "Shizuru, can I ask you for a favor?"

"Anything." The word came out as a breathless sound, Shizuru didn't want to break the magic of the moment.

"I want to go see my mom tomorrow." Shizuru was about to mention the prison when she remembered that she wasn't supposed to know that. She merely nodded her head. "It's been years and I don't know what to say to her. I really don't want to go alone, so will you go with me. It would mean the world to me."

Shizuru was moved by the raw emotion that seemed to pour from Natsuki and she was touched that Natsuki wanted her there for moral support. "Of course I'll go."

She felt Natsuki's smile and knew that a bridge had just been crossed. Shizuru wasn't yet where she wanted to be but she was getting closer. She sat there with Natsuki for a while longer before she felt the other woman shift uncomfortably. Natsuki turned and lay across the couch with Shizuru in front of her. She threw an arm over her and Shizuru felt her breathing even out. Natsuki had fallen asleep with Shizuru in her arms and she wasn't far behind.

-WWW-

Two days later...

They had decided to take Shizuru's convertible out to the prison, which was three hour's drive away from Fuuka, for comfort but Natsuki looked anything but. She shifted in her seat, her eyes glazed over and her hands shook slightly one against her lap and the other on the door. Shizuru reached over with her shifting hand and touched Natsuki's hand gently, a touch meant to ease and calm. It did it's job as Natsuki seemed to settle into her chair. Natsuki turned her hand up and took Shizuru's gently, a smile creased her cheeks. "Thanks for being here. I feel more comfortable with you around."

"I'm glad."

The prison crested the horizon as the convertible ate up the highway. Shizuru reluctantly took her hand back to bring the car to a stop before the prison gates. She parked the car in the parking lot in front of the main wall and looked up at it's gloomy height with razor wire atop it like a crown of thorns. Natsuki stood and stretched her legs that had disliked the long car ride, she stood to her full height and took in a deep breath, Shizuru noticed how she puffed her chest out when she did. Shizuru approached and Natsuki took her hand again for support. "Okay, I'm ready."

She dropped Shizuru's hand as they walked up to the checkpoint and up to the window. "I'm here to see Kuga Saeko, I'm her daughter."

"Do you have an appointment?"

The man on the other side of the window took the ID that Natsuki offered and ran it through her computer. He must have been satisfied by what he saw because he handed it back to her then turned his attention to Shizuru. "ID, miss."

"Oh, right."

Shizuru took out her ID and handed it to the man who ran it then handed it back to her. "Everything checks out. Go on in."

They walked down the long sterile hallways until they reached a metal detector. Natsuki took out her wallet, keys and cellphone and set them on the plate. She walked through without error, then came Shizuru's turn. Shizuru took out her cellphone, keys and wallet, removed her earrings and the two rings she wore on her right hand, one of them a serpent with two heads that earned a glance from the man working the checkpoint and took out the clip that held her hair in place. She walked through the metal detector and it beeped. She sighed as the man ran a wand over her and it went off on her shoes. She took them off and found a quarter lodged in the heel of her right shoe. She flicked it into the tray, put her shoes back on then followed Natsuki further into the building.

Shizuru walked close to Natsuki, so close that they nearly touched. Shizuru didn't want to mention that she was apprehensive but Natsuki seemed to pick up on it, she took Shizuru's hand and whispered in her ear "It's okay". This calmed her down and she walked side-by-side with Natsuki into the visiting room where they sat down at a small round table and waited for Saeko, whom the guard had said would be with them momentarily.

Minutes later Saeko walked through the doors with her head down and her long, blue hair covering her eyes. When she lifted them and spotted Natsuki a smile crossed her face and Shizuru was struck by how much alike the two women looked. Saeko looked older than Natsuki, worry lines and creases across her face and her arms looked thin and vascular, but her hair was the same color blue as Natsuki's, the shape of their faces, noses and mouths was the same, and she even walked like Natsuki. Only her eyes were different, brown where Natsuki's were a vibrant green. She reasoned that Natsuki must have gotten them from her father.

Natsuki got up to give her mother a hug before sitting back down, Saeko sitting across from them. She smirked at her daughter as her eyes fell upon Shizuru. "Who is this? You've never brought anyone else with you."

Her voice had the same deep tone that Natsuki's had, a voice that Shizuru longed to hear whispering sweet nothings to her late in the night. She shivered slightly at the thought. "This is Fujino Shizuru, she's a good friend."

The smirk didn't fade from Saeko's face, if anything it increased in intensity. "We're both adults now, Natsuki, and I've been in this place a long time. You can tell me that she's your girlfriend." Natsuki's eyes widened at her mother's straightforwardness. Shizuru wasn't expecting it either but saw no need to complain to the woman. "I've known you liked girls since you were five years old. Do you remember how you would fuss over that doll I bought for you?"

"Mother." Natsuki's voice took on an annoyed tone and a blush crept up her face. Saeko laughed aloud earning several glances from the guards that stood around the place. "I didn't come here so you could analyze my sex life. I came here to see you." Natsuki bit her lip. "I'm sorry it's been so long."

Saeko's face softened and she reached out for her daughter and took her by the shoulder. A tear fell from Natsuki's face but Saeko wiped it away. "You're a grown-up now, I can't expect you to visit me every week. You have your own life to live." She looked over at Shizuru. "Your own loves to pursue. I'm happy whenever I get to see you."

"Thanks." Natsuki smiled at her mother then looked over at the vending machines lined up behind the cage on one of the walls. "Do you want something to eat? I'm hungry after the long drive." She asked Saeko and Shizuru who both shook their heads then headed for the machines to grab some food.

When she was gone Saeko looked Shizuru up and down as if sizing her up. Shizuru focused on remaining still and showing no fear or discomfort. After a moment of scrutiny, Saeko asked, "So, what do you do for a living Shizuru?"

"I'm a novelist."

"A novelist?" Saeko's eyes widened. "That's prestigious. Do your books sell well? Are you a popular writer?"

"I have a following and my books sell well enough that I make a living at it. You're daughter is a fan of mine."

Saeko's eyes roamed over Shizuru once again. "I can't blame her. So are you two seeing each other?"

"No, we're just close."

Saeko leaned forward with a mirthful gleam in her eyes. "But you like my daughter, no?"

Shizuru said with confidence, "I do."

Saeko looked away in much the same way that Natsuki did. "You should be careful, Natsuki is a daughter of wolves."

"Daughter of what?"

Saeko leaned in close to Shizuru so they could speak quietly. "Her father was afflicted and I fear that she is too. It is a curse that changes the body when it gets too worked up. The change is horrible and the form terrible to behold, a gruesome hybrid of human and wolf." Shizuru was speechless and she held her breath. _Is this the reason that she pushed me away?_ "I don't know if my daughter is afflicted, but I watched her father change and try to kill me. I killed him instead and now I'm here." She looked down in despair. "I didn't know those were silver bullets. I didn't want to kill him."

Natsuki returned and set down a bottle of soda and two bags of chips. "I see you two talking closely. What about, hm?"

"It's rude to talk with your mouth full." Saeko scolded her daughter who stuck her tongue out at her. "We were discussing my grandchildren. Shizuru here is quite fertile, isn't that right?"

"Oh yes, and I would love to bear you a son of Kuga blood."

Shizuru and Saeko laughed at the ailing Natsuki who had coughed up nearly half a bag of chips in reaction to the women's teasing. Shizuru liked Saeko and had a good feeling that the woman liked her too. "Enough with that, how have you been, mom?"

Saeko looked at her like she shouldn't have to ask such a question. "You would think I'd be used to it but even after all these years I still get lonely. I hear some of the other women talk about their plans once they get out and I realize that I don't have any..." she choked up a bit towards the end, "because I'm never getting out of here."

Shizuru felt for the woman, after what she had just learned being in prison for the murder of her husband must have been hard for her to bear. Especially if he was a werewolf like she had said and Shizuru was starting to believe. Natsuki seemed saddened, but struggled not to let it show and stay positive for her mother's sake. Shizuru admired her for that. "How has life been treating you, Natsuki? Are you living well? Have you stayed clean?"

Saeko must have been referring to Natsuki's drug use in the past, something that Shizuru knew about but not the details of. "Yes, mom, I've been clean for two years now. I have a steady job as a cook and I have my own place in Fuuka, it's not much but I'm happy with it."

"Do you still use our old home at all?"

This was something Shizuru was interested to hear. "No, I haven't been out there in years. Too many bad memories."

_A lie._ Shizuru wondered even more if Natsuki was hiding a case of lycanthropy. More and more the plan of following Natsuki out to the old house was more enticing, Shizuru had been close to abandoning it but after hearing about Natsuki's possible affliction she was feeling more and more curious and the plan was looking better and better.

"But there were good memories, too. I remember the first time we took you to the fall festival. You looked so elegant in your yukata that you were the talk of the village." Shizuru pictured Natsuki in a yukata, her face must have grown flush because she earned a glance from Saeko. "Shizuru seems to like the idea."

Shizuru filed the image away for later and was happy when Natsuki ignored the comment and continued with the conversation. They talked for another hour, mostly about what Natsuki had been doing in the past years, before Saeko's visiting hour was up and she stood to be escorted back to her cell. She hugged her daughter and even spared a hug for Shizuru before she left, leaving her with more questions than she had answers and a selfish plan to put into action.

After they left the prison Shizuru stood with Natsuki next to her car, Natsuki's eyes stared blankly out towards the horizon and Shizuru had the urge to walk over and put her arm around her. She decided to act on the urge and took Natsuki by the shoulder in a friendly hug. Natsuki laid her head on Shizuru's shoulder, her voice was sultry and low. "Thanks for coming today. I didn't want to do this alone." She smiled, Shizuru felt her cheeks rise against her shoulder. "I think my mom likes you."

"I like her, too."

They stood together for long moments before heading back home to Fuuka.

-WWW-

Four days later...

Shizuru had made the arrangements and her plan was set into motion, she had rented a car that would be inconspicuous on the road, had set aside her large brimmed hat and sunglasses for her disguise and had even practiced driving at night with her lights off because the plan called for it, making an excuse to Natsuki why she had been out at night. All she was waiting for was the signal which came to her in the evening of the Tuesday after they visited Saeko. She was sitting on the couch with her computer in her lap when Natsuki came out of her room and stood before her with a vacant expression. "Are you going somewhere?"

"I need to go out of town tonight, there's some...business that I need to take care of. I won't be back until after work tomorrow evening. Will you be okay here?"

_It's time, then._ Shizuru's excitement was building, she was finally going to get some answers to the questions that she had about Natsuki. Her deeply laid plans were about to come to fruition. She put on her best 'for Natsuki' smile and assured her that she would be fine. "I think I can find my way around."

"Okay. Well, I'll see you tomorrow then."

Natsuki left the house and Shizuru closed her laptop, waiting an appropriate amount of time before rushing to her room to grab her hat and glasses then heading out to the rental car she had parked around the block so as to avoid discovery. Shizuru had quite the head for plans and subtlety, she had always enjoyed playing such games in school and her enjoyment of it even permeated her writing, the main character of the Knight Sky was a knight and a tactical genius winning over the heart of the bard Asha with her words and her wit. It was one of her most well received books and her personal favorite.

The sun fell below the horizon as Shizuru pulled out onto the road leading south and left Fuuka in her rearview mirror as she drove fast to catch up to Natsuki who had a head start on her. She caught up to the motorcycle as it rode down the highway and Shizuru turned off her lights using only the light of the full moon to navigate the turns. Fortunately the drive was pretty straight and conditions stayed clear through the drive.

When the bike finally veered off the road Shizuru followed it to an old abandoned house in the middle of a dark and forbidding wood. The cabin looked like it hadn't been used in a decade even though Shizuru knew it wasn't true. She parked the car out of sight of the house and waited for long minutes, she waited while around her the woods were eerily silent as if even the animals stayed away from this place.

She waited for ten minutes then got out of her car, careful not too make too much noise, and crept through the woods towards the cabin. A light shone in a window and Shizuru crept towards it slowly, her eyes cast around her for anything dangerous. She pressed against the wall beneath the window and stopped to catch her breath. _This is it, the answer to all the riddles is through the window above me._

She was thinking over whether or not to look when she heard Natsuki scream and peeked over the window sill and her heart stopped at what she saw. The inside of the room looked like a tornado had struck inside, furniture was broken and strewn about the room, anything that had once been whole was torn apart, even the walls bore grooves most likely from what was happening before her eyes.

Natsuki crouched naked in the center of the room, her screaming intensifying as it looked like something was going to crawl out of her chest. Her body roiled and reformed itself, her arms bent and twisted until they broke, only to be reformed by her regenerative powers until they were nearly as long as her body. Her legs underwent a similar treatment while her face elongated painfully into a muzzle of sorts. Slowly her scream turned to a roar as her twisted and mutilated form rose on it's new legs, white hair grew until it covered her body making her look more wolf-like and as the form condensed Shizuru could clearly see why they were called werewolves.

Rows of sharp teeth and long claws ripped painfully from her skin as the creature roared and howled in it's fury. Shizuru vomited from the sight. She heard the sounds of destruction from above her as she retched beneath the window. She wiped her mouth with her sleeve and stopped when she noticed the sounds of destruction above her had stopped.

She slowly looked up and met bright emerald eyes looking down at her from the end of a long muzzle pulled back into a snarl revealing rows of sharp teeth. She shook as she realized that in her current state Natsuki wouldn't recognize her and would see her as an intruder.

The beast snarled and Shizuru did the first thing that came in to her head. She ran. Pushing off the wall for momentum she dove into the blackness and headed in the direction of her car. She heard glass shatter behind her as the beast threw itself through the window and she heard it's footsteps pounding as it gave chase. She quickly abandoned the car as she couldn't outrun the beast and headed for the safety of the woods around them, diving through the under brush before stopping suddenly behind a tree to catch her breath.

She focused her senses, she couldn't hear anything over the sounds of her labored breathing, she couldn't see anything for the trees around her, she smelled the wood of the tree behind her and the grass at her feet, she felt the sweat trickle down her body and she tasted the vomit that she had left beneath the window.

She gathered herself and peeked around the tree, nothing but darkness met her eyes. Slowly and ever so cautiously she crept from tree to tree in the direction of her car, it was within her sight when she heard a sound from above her and spun around as the beast nearly landed atop her having leapt from a nearby tree branch. She backed up until she felt the cold bark of a tree at her back and closed her eyes for her last moments alive.

She waited for a full minute and nothing happened. She opened her eyes and saw that the wolf was standing away from her, green eyes staring at her. A feeling overcame her and she slowly, tenderly reached out for it. It didn't resist. She touched it lightly, feeling it's silky coat beneath her hands. "Shizuru."

She heard it like a whisper on the wind then a loud crack as the change reversed and Natsuki's bones and joints reset themselves back into her shapely form. She fell forward and Shizuru caught her in her arms and fell to her knees with the woman. Shizuru breathed with Natsuki asleep in her lap and let the adrenaline slowly work itself out of her system as she struggled to make sense of everything.

_Natsuki is a werewolf._

When she regained her composure she carried the naked and unconscious Natsuki back towards the cabin and prayed she had left the door unlocked. She had and Shizuru carefully opened the door and set her down in the center of the living room next to her discarded clothing, then leaned against a wall to rest.

_Did she whisper my name, or did I just imagine it? Why did she stop when she did? Why did she change back when I touched her? None of this makes any sense_. All these questions ran through her head as she looked at Natsuki laying in the center of the room looking no worse for having completely changed her physical form. She lay now with no scratch or bruise, no scar or blemish on her body and she fully understood what Nao meant by 'She never gets hurt'. She had probably never been hurt in her life.

Motion caught her attention when she noticed Natsuki's hands start to move down her body and across her stomach. She started convulsing and her eyes opened looking right at Shizuru as her hands slid down her stomach and between her legs. Her breathing was heavy and she whispered, "Shizuru" while she grinded against her own hands.

Shizuru was dumbstruck, she had no idea what to do. While her mind was telling her to stay away her body was heating up, telling her to give the woman what she wanted. Her own hand betrayed her, crawling down her stomach to caress herself while Natsuki did the same on the floor. Her lust overtook her and she crawled towards Natsuki who grabbed her hand and roughly shoved it between her legs. Shizuru entered her and Natsuki moaned, a sound that she wanted to hear over and over again.

Natsuki pulled her down to lie atop her and captured her lips with her own, pulling her into a deep kiss while her body bucked beneath her. She felt Natsuki shiver then her body jolted as she orgasmed. Shizuru kissed Natsuki's bare shoulder as she lay on top of the woman who was breathing heavily after her exertions. Natsuki suddenly flipped their positions and straddled Shizuru, tearing at her clothes until she had removed them then started on her ample breasts until Shizuru was sure she couldn't take anymore. When Natsuki entered her with her fingers she practically exploded into an orgasm that left her breathless and sweating as Natsuki lay down on top of her and closed her eyes again. She was asleep in moments and Shizuru was left wondering what exactly had happened.

She was weary from the day and that all quickly caught up to her as she lay under Natsuki and ran her hand through her sweaty, silken hair. Her last thoughts before she drifted off to sleep were, _What just happened?_


	8. Chapter 8

**The Third Strike**

While Shizuru and Natsuki slept, Yuuki Reiko parked her car outside of the White Stallion and walked into the bar, eyes drifted her way before returning to their liquor and their conversations. She hadn't been in this place in a long time and much had changed since her days, but she was here on a mission. Her granddaughter hadn't returned home for the last two nights so Reiko was out looking for her.

She knew Nao liked to hang out at the bar, it was one of her favorite spots. If she was to be found anywhere it would be here. She walked up to the bar and spoke to the bartender, an attractive young brunette who pointed her to the owner of the bar who was sitting in a booth surrounded by friends. He looked up as Reiko walked over. "Hello, I was wondering if you had seen Yuuki Nao tonight. She hasn't been home in a few days and I'm worried about her."

"Nao?" The man stroked his large bushy beard in thought. "I haven't seen her since last week."

"Oh, well thank you very much."

"Wait." He snapped his fingers and a man hopped out from a nearby door and stood at attention. "Will you escort Ms. Yuuki back to her car," he looked up at her, "it's getting dangerous out at night. You can't be too careful."

"Thank you, young man. It's good to see someone with manners in this trying time." He nodded respectfully to her before the young man bowed his head and escorted her out of the door and out to her car. She thanked him before starting up the engine and pulling out of the parking lot.

She drove back to the store, intending to wait for one more night before she called the police. When she walked up to unlock the door she noticed that it was already opened. She assumed that it was Nao and walked in ready to see her asleep on the couch after partying for the last two days. Instead when she headed up to the apartment she found it empty with all the lights off.

Just then she heard a sound from below, a devilish howl that sent shivers down her spine. She heard the creaking of the wood as the source of it climbed the stairs to the apartment. It looked at Reiko with cold, dead eyes before striking.

-WWW-

Natsuki woke up in the middle of the living room of her parent's house and felt a certain comfort that she had never felt on that floor before. She had woken up on that cold floor hundreds of times and never once did she feel as utterly satisfied as she did right now. She opened her eyes, wiped them and noticed that she was sleeping on something. Upon closer inspection it turned out to be someone and on even closer inspection it turned out to be Shizuru.

They were laying in the middle of the room in each other's arms completely naked and Natsuki could now place the feeling that was circulating though her at the moment. It was then that the more startling realization struck her. _She must have seen me change, she knows what I am._

It gradually sunk in as she lay unmoving in the woman's arms. She sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes, standing away from Shizuru across the room. She looked around and noticed her own clothes lying in a neat pile where she had left them and Shizuru's clothes scattered about the room. She must have ripped them off but she had no memory of the previous night. Try as she might nothing but the change came to her, her memory blank.

Shizuru stirred without her warmth and her eyes fluttered open, she looked around her sleepily and saw Natsuki leaning against a wall nearby. Natsuki could see the conflicting feelings rising up in the woman, embarassment and fear but also lust and satisfaction. Whatever had happened Shizuru had liked it.

A feeling passed through Natsuki as well, betrayal. "Why are you here? How did you find this place?"

Shizuru looked away guiltily, a look that only served to anger Natsuki. "I followed you."

Her anger bled into her voice which rose in inquiry. "You followed me? Why the hell would you do that?" Natsuki bit her lip, her voice iced over. "So, you know my secret then?" Shizuru nodded quietly that she did and started to speak but Natsuki cut her off. "I can't believe you'd hurt me like this. I trusted you, Shizuru."

"I'm..." Shizuru started to say she was sorry but after what had happened between them last night she couldn't say that she was, her feelings for the other woman had only intensified over the course of the night. Natsuki on the other hand felt violated and furious. "What happened last night really meant a lot to me, Natsuki, and I've come to care about you." Shizuru was nearly to tears, she hadn't considered the ramifications of her actions and the cold woman before her was scaring her more than the wolf last night had. "Can't we talk about this, please?"

"Leave." Her voice was steel, cold and deadly.

"Natsu..."

"Leave."

Her voice betrayed her pain, her hurt, her betrayal. She had come to trust Shizuru like she had trusted no one else. When she had asked Shizuru to accompany her to the prison it was because she found comfort in her presence and, to spite her resolve to keep Shizuru away for her safety, she found herself getting closer and closer to the tawny haired woman. Their connection was powerful and Natsuki found it difficult to resist. Now she had forcefully taken a secret that Natsuki had held for all of her life and Natsuki didn't know how to feel except angry.

Shizuru gathered her clothes and put them on, her eyes never left Natsuki who had closed her eyes and sighed. After she dressed, Shizuru walked to the door with a tear in her eyes, stopping with her hand on the door handle. She looked back, "Will you ever forgive me, Natsuki?"

"I don't know."

Shizuru reluctantly left the house, closing the door behind her. Now alone with just her thoughts she had to decide what her next move was going to be. _She knows and I can't change that, but what am I supposed to do?_ She put on her clothes and looked around the room for any signs of what had happened. She saw the window with the broken glass and walked over to it. The window had been smashed outward, shards of glass lay in the grass outside, and she reasoned that she must have spotted Shizuru and given chase. _But she didn't seem hurt to me. What exactly happened last night?_

She saw Shizuru's rental car pull out and drive down the dirt road and her heart left with it. She had realized how much she cared for Shizuru during the movie they had watched together, when she wrapped her arms around Shizuru she couldn't remember ever feeling more comfortable or connected with another human being before and that was an alluring thing for Natsuki who had always been alone. She had felt drawn to her but now all those feelings were overshadowed. Shizuru had crossed the line and she couldn't forgive her.

Natsuki sat and wallowed in that room until her phone rang in her pocket and she jumped up startled, having forgotten that she even had it with her. She answered it and was surprised to hear Nao's voice, she almost never called her. "Natsuki? Do you think you can come and get me?"

"Where are you?"

"On the highway going south if you take a right about ten miles out you'll come to a huge mansion." She knew where it was, it was on her way back into town. "I'll be waiting for you on the front steps."

"What are you doing at a mansion?"

"We'll talk about it later, just hurry up."

She hung up the phone and sighed, it wasn't much but at least the drive might help take her mind off of Shizuru. She searched for her helmet before finding it on the back of her seat and kicked the bike on. She drove for an hour before she came to the turn off and another ten minutes until the mansion showed on the horizon.

She was surprised at how large the house was, three stories of old brick and mortar, a rare sight in rural Japan, surrounded by acres of cleared farm land that was in the middle of being harvested before the winter. She could see the laborers and farm machinery at work as she drove down the nicely paved road and up to the front steps where a red-head stood up at her approach with an irritated look on her face. "What took you so long?"

"I was at the ranch." She took the helmet off of her head and handed it to Nao who had walked up to the bike and was about to mount it. "Here." She gave her a questioning look. "Put it on so we can get out of here."

Nao did as she was asked then mounted the bike and rode out onto the street. Unlike when Shizuru rode behind her, Natsuki didn't really notice Nao unless she was turning. When they pulled into town she felt Nao tap on her shoulder at a stop light and yell, "Go to the diner."

Natsuki obliged and drove to the diner, parking in her usual spot and dismounting the bike. She followed Nao into the diner and when Mai spotted her she looked at an old clock mounted on the wall. "You're early, Natsuki."

"I'm here with her." She pointed to Nao who had already found a seat and was looking over the menu.

"Well don't be late today, you know we get a rush at four."

Natsuki sat down across from Nao who ordered a takomaki platter and a drink, Natsuki only ordered a drink as she had no appetite. Nao sat with her elbows on the table and with her hands in front of her mouth, an odd quirk of hers. Natsuki sat back with her drink. "So what were you doing at that mansion?"

"Taking a break." She took a sip of her drink and smiled while Natsuki looked at her quizzically. "I met this guy out at the bar a couple nights ago and he offered to let me stay out there for a while."

"So you gave it up to him?"

"No." Nao scoffed as if the very idea was laughable. "We fooled around a bit but he never got further than that. He ran me off this morning when he found out that I wasn't going to, but I got what I wanted out of him." They shared a laugh and Mai set a plate down in front of Nao and walked away to take another customer's order. "So, how are things with your new girlfriend?"

Natsuki groaned and held her head like it hurt. She hadn't wanted to think about Shizuru until later but Nao could always hit her where it hurt. It was one of her traits Natsuki most disliked. "I don't want to talk about that."

"So she actually did it."

Nao said it under her breath but Natsuki, with her acute hearing, heard her. "What do you know about it?"

Nao sighed. She had warned the woman about getting caught. She wondered how Shizuru had gotten caught but she didn't have to think too hard about it, she knew how Shizuru felt about Natsuki and put two and two together. "It may or may not have been my idea."

Natsuki shook her head. "It doesn't change anything, she still betrayed my trust and I can't forgive that."

Nao too a bite of her food. "So she saw something she wasn't supposed to, eh? What do you have a tail?" Natsuki growled and Nao imagined Natsuki with a tail growing out of her back. She started laughing and Natsuki raised an eyebrow at her. "What's so bad about what she saw?"

"I can't say."

"Of course you can't." Nao took another bite and chewed on her food while she thought of what to say next. "I think you should talk to her."

"Why?"

"Because she's good for you." Nao slammed her hands on the table as she said it to add emphasis to her words. "Since she's been around how many fights have you been in?"

"None."

"And how many times have you gone to the bar?"

"Only once."

"Yeah, it's like you've been ignoring me or something." Natsuki started to argue but Nao continued. "It's good to see you make another friend but don't forget about your old ones."

Nao was making a lot of sense but Natsuki was still hurt and that hurt felt stronger to her than any sense Nao's words might have made. "Can we not talk about this anymore? I just want to forget it for now."

"Okay." Nao shrugged, it wasn't any of her business but she did feel somewhat responsible considering that it was her plan. This whole situation only made her more curious. _What could this secret be that Natsuki would push someone like Shizuru away to protect. _

Nao finished the food on her plate and paid for her meal out of a large wad of money that Natsuki's eyes widened at the sight of. "Where did you get all that?"

"You have your secrets and I have mine."

Nao stuck the money back into her pocket and she and Natsuki left the diner and headed out to her bike. Natsuki drove her home, her mind abuzz with Shizuru and how she should proceed, when she stopped at a police barrier that had been erected around the bookstore. Nao dismouted and took off the helmet in a blur. Natsuki caught a glimpse of her facial expression as she passed, Nao was terrified.

Natsuki shut the bike off and followed Nao up to the barrier where she had practically shouted at the officer standing there. "What's going on?"

The officer bore it with a practiced calmness, it was obvious he was used to dealing with irate people. "There's been an attack, miss, nobody is allowed in right now."

"But I live here."

The officer was about to speak but his radio crackled to life and a female voice came through. "Let them through."

The man stepped aside and Nao shoved passed him, Natsuki followed after. They walked somberly up the steps, she could practically hear Nao's heart beating as they climbed the steps and into the room. From the stairwell the room looked untouched, nothing was out of place except for the couch, it had been pushed back and in front of it laid the dead body of Nao's grandmother Reiko. Nao rushed into the room with tears runnng down her cheeks and a distraught look on her face. She knelt by the body and looked her over. It looked like she had been mauled by a wild animal, claw marks covered her body and a cut across the throat was the cause of death.

Natsuki stopped when she saw it and thought about her father in a similar situation a lot more years ago than she cared to remember. She remembered seeing him in his gruesome form, she remembered hearing her mom shout, she remembered the gunshots and her father's fall, she remembered his body changing before her eyes back to the face that she remembered. It made her think how short life was and how easily it could be taken away.

Midori noticed them enter and walked over, putting a condoling hand on Nao's shoulder. A hand that was quickly swatted away by the suddenly angry woman. "What happened here?"

"It's the same MO as the last two killings."

Nao's anger flashed and she was in Midori's face in seconds. "So why the fuck haven't you caught this guy yet? Isn't that your damned job?"

Midori hung her head. "I know how difficult this must be, Nao, but please if you know anything about what happened last night it would be a huge help to the investigation."

"If I knew something I'd follow it up myself since you police are fucking worthless." Nao practically spit the words at Midori before turning back to her grandmother who was being covered in a white sheet.

Natsuki watched the whole thing in awe, it was one thing to hear about the attacks second hand in the diner but to have it hit so close to home was terrifying. Midori approached her with purpose in her eyes. "What about you, Kuga? What do you know about this?"

Natsuki shook her head. "Less than Nao, I was at my parent's ranch last night."

"I hear you've been spending a lot of time with Fujino Shizuru. Have you noticed anything strange about her? Does she come and go at odd times or have any strange quirks?"

Natsuki knew that Midori had suspected from the beginning that the killings had something to do with Shizuru and it was obvious that she was trying to pin Shizuru to this one as well. "Nothing that I've noticed. She had nothing to do with this, she was with me last night."

"At your parent's ranch? What were you two doing out there?"

"That's not any of your business."

"But it is if you're trying to establish an effective alibi."

Midori was grilling her and she was getting annoyed. "I thought it would be kinky to have hot, nasty sex on my parent's bed." Natsuki raised an eyebrow. "Do you want the details or is that enough, detective?"

Midori rolled her eyes and sighed. "Why do you have to make this difficult, Natsuki? I'm only trying to do my job. Fujino Shizuru has been involved with the last two victims, tell me that doesn't seem suspicious to you?"

"I'm telling you she had nothing to do with it."

Midori must have given up because she waved her away. "I believe you, now this is a crime scene so I'm going to have to ask you and Nao to leave."

Midori walked away and Natsuki went to collect Nao from her place beside her grandmother's body. She flinched when Natsuki went to pull her away. "We're not doing any good here. Come on, you can stay at my place."

"I'm going to find this bastard." Nao was no longer hysterical, she sounded serious and determined. "I'm going to find him and put a bullet in his head for what he's done."

Nao followed Natsuki out of the bookstore and back onto her bike. She drove them home and saw Shizuru's car still in the driveway. She put an arm around Nao and led her into the house where Shizuru sat with her computer on the couch. She looked up at Natsuki, her eyes full of questions. "Can we talk?"

"Not now."

Natsuki led Nao into the bedroom that had been occupied by Shizuru, but she noticed that all of Shizuru's things were gone. Nao laid face down on the bed and Natsuki sat beside her, gently rubbing her back while Nao cried into the pillow. "She was all I had left."

"I'm here for you."

"Then help me get revenge."

Nao cried herself to sleep and Natsuki sat with her until she did, mostly to support her friend but also because she wasn't ready to deal with Shizuru. After an hour of pacing about the room she steeled herself and headed out to the living room gently closing the door behind her.

Shizuru had out away her computer and turned to face her when she entered the room. "What happened? Is she alright?"

Natsuki sat down next to her on the couch, unconsciously aware of the distance between them both physically and emotionally. "There's been another killing. Nao's grandmother was found dead in their house last night."

Shizuru's expression turned somber. "Ms. Yuuki is dead? That's terrible, she was a good person." She looked at Natsuki. "Another murder connected to me, Detective Sugiura must be looking for me."

"I gave her your alibi." Shizuru seemed surprised. "I told her you were with me last night." Shizuru went to speak but Natsuki stopped her. "Seeing her there, dead on the floor reminded me of seeing my father dead. Did I ever tell you about that?" Shizuru shook her head, Natsuki turned on the couch to face Shizuru and look her in the eyes. "I was asleep one night when I was woken up by the sounds of yelling coming from the living room. I peeked out of my door and I saw my mom on the floor, she was holding a gun and shouting at the top of her lungs. What stood before her was the most fearsome thing I've ever seen. She shot him and only after his body changed did I recognize him as my father. It was the most horrifiying thing I had ever seen. Little did I know that I would soon become the very thing that horrified me. You've seen it now. Were you scared?"

The hair stood up on the back of Shizuru's head. Her mind ran through several scenarios involving Natsuki choking her to death on the couch or grabbing a kitchen knife and stabbing her to death with it. "It was frightening."

"My mom still bears the scars of what he did to her and she always will. You don't have any, though. What happened last night? Why didn't I attack you?"

Shizuru recounted the things she had seen and done; how she had followed her down the highway with her lights off so as not to be seen, her sneaking up to the window and seeing Natsuki's transformation, her puking beneath that same window, Natsuki chasing her into the woods and out to her car. "I thought you were going to kill me but you just stood there and looked at me. I reached out to touch you and you changed back. Just like that."

Natsuki listened carefully, taking in every detail as Shizuru told her story. She had to admit that Shizuru was very good at telling stories. "And after that? How did we end up naked together?"

Shizuru bowed her head and sighed. "I carried you into the house and laid you down on the floor. I was catching my breath when all of a sudden you're eyes open and you start...you know...playing with yourself." Shizuru's discomfort became apparent as she continued. "You whispered my name and...you have to know that I find you attractive Natsuki. I couldn't resist." She looked up at Natsuki. "You don't remember?"

"No." Natsuki sighed. "Nobody has ever known about my shapechanging before and I don't really know what to do. At least it's a friend who found out about it, and not some random person."

"Am I still your friend, Natsuki?"

Shizuru's voice was filled with yearning and Natsuki found herself more curious than angry over what had happened. "I imagine you'll be more inclined to keep a secret for a friend than a stranger." Natsuki smirked. "That and apparently you're a good influence on me."

Shizuru smiled but something lurked beneath the surface, sadness. She had spent the day thinking as well, thinking about their night of passion and how long it had been since she had had one. She couldn't remember ever feeling such a primal love before and she wanted more. Natsuki having no memory of it hurt and Shizuru wondered if she would ever have another chance to experience it again. Seeing Natsuki in her current state, though, Shizuru decided that it was best not to bring it up. She would rather have Natsuki as a friend than as nothing and she felt fortunate that Natsuki had forgiven her.

"Are you still leaving then?"

Shizuru had taken her bags back to her car and they were now sitting there waiting for her to leave. "I don't want to be a bother."

"You're not. I want you to be safe." Natsuki's voice showed her genuine concern. "You don't have to leave."

"No, it's fine. I'd feel more comfortable at my own place anyway." Natsuki pursed her lips and Shizuru thought about what she said. "Not that I'm uncomfortable here, I just..."

"I know what you mean." Natsuki smiled at seeing the normally word savvy writer mix up her words. "If that's what you feel you need to do then I won't stop you. Just be safe, and keep in touch."

Natsuki escorted Shizuru to the door and they stood in the frame for a moment, each glad that things had turned out well between them. They hugged and Shizuru held on for a little bit longer than Natsuki did. Finally she let go and walked out to her car, Natsuki watched her until she pulled out of the driveway and down the street before she turned around and went back inside to check on Nao.

She checked the time when she came back to the living room. _Late again, Mai's going to kill me._

-WWW-

Midori walked around the darkened bookstore, she had waited until all the uniformed officers left before starting a detailed search of the area. She was looking for the killer's method of entry and had searched every door and window of the place until she finally found it in the back of the storeroom. A small window was broken, pieces of glass lay on the floor. It looked like it had been kicked in. She knelt down and examined the pieces for blood or material and came up empty.

She heard footsteps behind her and spun around to see Tate Yuuichi walking across the stockroom. "Is this the point of entry?"

"It looks like it, did you go over the security tape footage we found?"

"Yeah but it's sloppy. The cameras in here are so low tech that we couldn't make anything out clearly."

"Was the killer waiting for her, or did he just happen to get here at the same time?"

"He was waiting for her, for a while it looked like. What does that mean?"

It proved a hunch that she had been working on for a while, that this wasn't some random killer and that his targets were chosen. "It means that he was after Ms. Yuuki. This wasn't a robbery attempt or a random act of violence, this was premeditated."

"What's that?" Yuuichi walked over to the broken in window and pulled off a piece of cloth, white with a streak of brown. He walked it over to Midori who took it in her hand and felt it. "That's been tanned, looks like it might have been from a wolf by the brindle."

"A wolf?" An idea formed in her mind, something that she had never thought of before. "Could the killer be wearing some sort of suit, maybe one made to look like a wolf?"

"Come to think of it with the head still on that would look pretty terrifying, especially at night."

Of course, it all made sense, but what she needed was the why. _Why would someone go around in a wolf suit and kill people? Are they some sick fetishist or is there some motive to their actions?_ "Take this down to the lab and have them analyze it. Tomorrow we're going to hit up every tanner we can find and see if any of them have made anything out of wolf recently."

Midori was excited, they had a plan now and it wouldn't be long before they had smoked this wolf out of his den and brought him into the light of justice. She took one last look around the room and noticed an open box, inside several dozen copies of White Wolf Whispers. She looked closer and saw that it looked like only one had been taken out. "Maybe the killer likes to read?"

Midori walked away from the crime scene with some evidence and a new spring in her step. She was close, she felt it with all her instincts, and when she brought that bastard down she would finally take her long deserved vacation with Youko. _And Nina, of course._

Midori made it home long after dark, the only light on in her house was in her bedroom, most likely Youko reading a book like she liked to do. Midori walked in, careful not to make too much noise, and found Youko sitting in their bed with a book in her hand. "Hi, baby."

"Hey, sweetheart." Midori leaned over and gave her a kiss then sat down on the bed and started taking off her shoes. "How was your day? I noticed that you're smiling."

Midori tossed her boots to the side of the bed and unbuttoned her shirt, she sat next to Youko and patted her thigh with her hand. "It was good. We got our first break in the werewolf case."

Youko turned her attention from her books to Midori. "Really?"

"Yuuki Reiko, the woman who ran the bookstore, she was killed last night." Midori's expression changed to sad, she and Reiko had been close as she was an avid reader. "I was snooping around her stockroom when I noticed the window was kicked in. Tate found a piece of cloth that must have come off the killer. The cloth was tanned wolf leather, so I surmised that the killer must wear an article of clothing made from wolf hide. We're going to hit up the local tanners tommorrow for information."

"You know who would be upset to hear that? Natsuki."

"Why?"

"Natsuki had a thing for wolves." Midori found it to be an odd piece of information. "She used to tell me about her dreams and most of them had wolves in them. I didn't think anything of it, I just told her to lay off the werewolf movies."

_Werewolf movies? Wolf dreams? And she's spending a lot of time around Fujino Shizuru? There's something weird going on here._ "That's interesting."

An idea dawned in Youko's eyes. "Don't, Midori. Don't use that in your little feud with her. I told you that in confidence, you can't use that against her."

"What if it's her, Youko?" Midori never snapped at Youko but she did now. "What if it's her committing murder and..."

"I know her Midori." Youko's voice fell and her eyes stared listlessly across the room. "She was my patient for almost ten years and I know that she's not capable of murder. She's a good person and she's trying, she's trying so hard to live a better life."

"And she reminds you of Nina?"

"She reminds me of you."

Youko closed her book and set it on her nightstand then turned away from Midori and lay down. Midori didn't know what to say, it made perfect sense why Youko was always defending Natsuki if she reminded her of Midori. She felt like a terrible person for putting Youko in that position. "I'm sorry, I didn't know."

The way she apologized spoke volumes to Youko who had never heard her so distraught. "You had no way of knowing and I understand that it's your job to ask questions to get to the truth but I'm telling you that she couldn't do that anymore than you could have before you pulled that trigger. She's not a murderer, Midori, and neither are you."

Midori stood and undressed before getting back into the bed and turning off the lamp that lay on her nightstand. She wrapped comfortably around Youko and kissed her gently on the cheek. "You know I would never do that, use what you say in our bedroom against someone."

"I know."

Youko's breathing evened out and she fell asleep, quickly as she always did in Midori's arms. Midori pondered the connection between wolves and the killer before falling asleep herself, confident that she would be closer to the answer by the end of the next day.

_-Author's Note-__I'm very interested to see what the readers think of this chapter. Did Natsuki let it go too quickly? Or is she using the best method at her disposal to keep her secret from leaking? I want to hear what you think._


	9. Chapter 9

**Plans Coming to Fruition**

The wind whipped by at high speed as she drove down the highway, her hands nearly shaking as the small town showed on the horizon. She had decided that after Yuuki Reiko, her primary source of information on Shizuru, was found dead that she had to take matters into her own hands. She was heading to Fuuka to convince Shizuru to return to the city with her, whatever it took.

Tomoe Marguerite had had enough of sitting on the sidelines, it was time for her to take action to save someone she loved.

-WWW-

Nao sauntered through the bar like she owned it and many joked that she did. The White Stallion had become her favorite watering hole and hangout over the last few years and she was well known and well liked by all the patrons and staff. She knocked on the table where an older couple sat, both sporting Mohawks and numerous tattoos down their arms, they nodded at her with smiled on their faces and she walked through the door into the backroom.

The owner of the bar, a large man with a long handlebar mustache bowed his head solemnly as she walked in and shook his hand. "I was sorry to hear about your aunt, Reiko. She was a good woman."

Nao bowed respectfully but her face was as hard as stone. "Don't feel sorry for me, feel sorry for whoever did this. He can't imagine the hurt that I'm going to put on him for what he's done."

The man, Deacon as he was commonly known, sighed and shook his head at the young woman. "Leave it to the cops, Nao."

"No, I've had enough of the damned cops." She leaned forward and slammed a fist on the desk between them. "I want to get the Stripes back together."

"Nao..."

"Call them, Deacon. I want this guy, I need this guy to suffer."

"Nao, stop." Deacon's voice rose and Nao sat back down, humbled by the care she heard in the older man's voice. "I'm not going to let you run around like some damned vigilante and taking the law into your own hands. I promised you're father I'd look out for you and I intend to do that."

"But he killed my grandmother, his mother. Don't we owe it to his memory to find the guy who did it and string him up."

"That's not how your father would have done it and you know it." Nao did know it. Yuuki Eiji may have been a lot of things, a drinker and a scoundrel, a womanizer and a gun runner to name a few, what he always kept with him was his honor, a trait that now resided in his only daughter. "Your father would have helped the police find this guy in any way he could. He would have done what was right, not what would have made him feel better."

Nao hung her head, as much as she wanted to argue with Deacon he was right, and as her fafher's best friend he knew the man very well. Sometimes even better than his own daughter. "Look, I understand what you're going through but trust that this guy will get what he deserves."

"Let me talk to him."

Her voice was low but Deacon knew exactly who 'he' was and why she wanted to talk to him. "Nao, don't..."

"I just want to see if he knows anything. If I do come up with something I'll take it to the police right away." Deacon shot her a look that openly said 'I don't believe you'. "I mean it, Deacon. Do me this favor, please."

Deacon sighed and grabbed the phone off of the counter. "Fine, but don't screw with me on this, Nao. If you find something out you go straight to the police. Understand?" Nao nodded that she understood and Deacon dialed the numbers to reach an old friend. "Hey, it's Deacon? Are you busy? I've got a client for you, when can you meet her? Alright, sounds good man. Take care." He hung up the phone and set it back down on the counter. "Two o'clock at the pizza place, and don't be late."

Nao nodded and stood, Deacon stepped around the desk and gave Nao a big hug. She resisted at first but soon melted into the embrace. After her parents had been killed in a traffic accident Deacon, her father's closes friend and confidant, had taken over for him. Over the years he had taught her how to survive and she was thankful to him for the lessons. He looked down at his adopted daughter and smiled. "What's rule number one?"

Rule number one was something that Deacon had instilled in her from the very beginning, it was the most important rule of survival and she had learned her lesson well. "Don't do anything stupid."

"That's right, kid. Go on and let me know how it turns out." He faux punched her in the jaw and she turned away from him and walked out the door, waving at a few new patrons who were sitting at the bar on her way out of the bar and to her car.

She sat down and looked at her phone. _One hour until the meet, plenty of time to freshen up._ She started the car and drove back to Natsuki's place, walking in to the empty house as Natsuki was at work. She took a quick shower and smelled at her clothes, they were the same ones she had been wearing for the last three days and they smelled like it. She wrapped a towel around herself and dug through Natsuki's dresser until she found a pair of pants and a shirt that would fit her. She put them on, swearing to buy Natsuki replacements, put on her favorite hat and walked back to the car to make her appointment with 'him'.

She pulled up in front of Fuuka's only pizza place, the Pizza Palace run by the town's only American denizen, Rachel Armitage, and her daughter Haruka. Nao liked the Armitages and she was one of the rare few who did as the Americans were loud and boisterous and were seen as annoying by most of the townsfolk. Loud and boisterous, however, were two qualities that Nao liked.

She walked into the pizza place and looked around her for any signs of her contact. Behind the counter stood a tall, blonde haired woman who smiled as Nao entered. "Nao, what trouble are you running from this time?"

"Not from, to." She sauntered over to the counter and lowered her head prompting Haruka to do the same. "I'm here to meet someone, someone with information I need."

"About the murder?" Haruka didn't sugar coat her words, Nao believed that she didn't know the meaning of subtlety. "I heard about that, I'm so sorry for your loss."

"Thanks." She looked around and noticed that a rotund man was waving her over to a table in the corner. He was stuffing his face with a large pizza and Nao's first reaction was disgust, the man obviously had little self control. His face was covered with pizza grease which he wiped from his mustache with a napkin before returning to his meal.

She approached slowly, this wasn't the man she remembered from years ago. "Sakomizu?"

"Yuuki Nao, it has been years." His voice was deep and throaty but breathless like he had just run a mile. "Come, sit down and let us talk." She sat down across from him and he offered her a slice of pizza which she less than politely declined. "All business, I see. Then let's get to it, I'm afraid I don't have much to offer you."

Nao was getting agitated. She had come to find Sakomizu because he had a way of knowing things, he traded information and would often pay top dollar to discover another man's secrets. She had traded a few juicy pieces of information to him for the money that now sat in her wallet. "You could have said that over the phone. I wouldn't have wasted the trip."

"It's nice to see you too, Nao." Sakomizu smirked. It had been years since the two had met face to face, most of their interactions were done online over his own private network. He rarely had cause to leave the house anymore and had developed a bit of a weight problem in recent years but his mind was still sharp as were his sources. "I said I don't have much, not I don't have anything."

Nao perked up at this. "What do you want in return?"

Sakomizu smiled and leaned forward, the light reflecting off of his thin framed shades. "I want information on Kuga Natsuki. You're staying in her house, are you not? In a room that was, until recently, occupied by Fujino Shizuru?"

"Yes, why?"

"Are they sleeping together?"

Nao was dumbstruck. "What are you an information dealer or a gossip queen?"

"Answer my question and I'll answer yours."

"No, no they're not."

Sakomizu withdrew a tablet from his pockets, she thought it was far too large a tablet to fit into a pocket but said nothing, and started typing. When he was done he put it away. "Now, you want to know who is responsible for your grandmother's murder." He could see the excitement build in her face. "I don't know who it is, all I can tell you is that Kuga Natsuki is involved. Closely involved."

"Natsuki wouldn't do something like that. Reiko was like a grandmother to her too."

"Look closer, Nao. Look closer."

With that said Sakomizu returned to his lunch and Nao stood to leave. "It was good to see you again, Nao. You look healthy."

"More than can be said for you."

Sakomizu took no offense, in fact he broke out into a fit of breathless laughter. "You'll never change, will you?"

"Sure I will," Nao smirked as she turned and started to walk away. "we've all gotta die sometime." She left a laughing/coughing Sakomizu behind as she left the Pizza Palace with a wave to Haruka. He hadn't given her the information that she wanted but she hadn't left empty handed. If Kuga Natsuki was so closely related to the killings then she would stay beside her and lay low until the killer came to them. Her heart eased at her new plan, at least she was doing something about it.

She flicked open her phone and placed a call to Deacon. "Deacon, Nao. Sakomizu couldn't tell me anything."

"Oh, that's rare. He's usually got his finger on the pulse."

"This is a little out of his league. I'm going to sit back and wait. I have a feeling that I'm not done with this case, I think he's going to find me."

"Be careful, Nao."

"I will be." Nao stayed on the line for a moment. "Thanks."

"I'm always here for you."

She hung up the phone and focused on her driving. _I know, Deacon, I know._

-WWW-

Shizuru was on her way to the diner and her stomach was doing flips. She had spent the last night tossing and turning, unable to sleep due to her lurid thoughts of Natsuki and their night together. Her thoughts of Natsuki straddling her, her soft lips pressed firmly against her own. Natsuki's hands wandered her body, spreading a fire that only she could extinguish. Her lips traced down her naked body until...

She pulled herself from the fantasy before she lost control of the car. She had grown attached to the woman after that, she didn't know if it was love but it was the closest she had ever been and that scared her. _What if she rejects me? I don't think I can take it._

She pulled into the parking lot and stopped the car, staying in it until she had pushed the thoughts aside. She didn't want to face Natsuki with those thoughts in her head.

After clearing her thoughts she headed inside. Mai was behind the counter and she happily greeted Shizuru when she walked in. "Hey, Shizuru. I haven't seen you in a few days. Come in, let me get your usual." She placed the order and poured her a fresh cup of tea, handing it to the woman who nodded thankfully to her. "How are things? Natsuki told me you went back home. Trouble in paradise?"

Shizuru went to answer but stopped herself. She found herself in the awkward position of being unable to explain any of the last day's events. She couldn't reveal Natsuki's secret, couldn't reveal their passionate moment and wouldn't reveal her newfound love. She could tell Mai nothing of what was happening. "It's complicated."

"I won't ask." Mai could see the disturbance that had passed across her crimson eyes when she asked and decided that it was best to leave everything alone.

The food came out minutes later carried by Natsuki, who set the plate down in front of her. "Hi."

"Hi."

Shizuru looked up and caught a glimpse of emerald, Natsuki's eyes threatened to pull her in so she looked away. _Dammit she can be so alluring and she doesn't even know it._ Natsuki noticed and cocked her head to the side in a questioning manner that Shizuru found to be adorable. "Is everything alright?"

_"Will you be my girlfriend?" The question just fell from her lips and Shizuru found those eyes she was avoiding, expecting to see anger or sadness in them. Instead she found mirth and desire which cast a beautiful light on the woman before her. _

_Natsuki gently took her hand and kissed it. "I..." She placed kissed up Shizuru's wrist and to her arm. "would..." She placed a kiss on Shizuru's cheek, slowly working her way to Shizuru's lips which were pursed and tense with longing. "like that."_

_They kissed, a deep kiss that expressed the love they felt for each other._

Shizuru shook her head to clear the fantasy. When she was younger she used to slip more easily into fantasy, at times the pull was so strong that she would forget where she was and what she was doing. As she got older and her hobby of writing stories turned into a career she found it more difficult to fall into them and it was a loss that she lamented. Lately, however, she found herself falling more easily into her daydreams and it had been a source of joy for her. She blamed it on Natsuki.

She whipped her phone out of pocket and commenced to writing down the scene she had just envisioned in her head. The words flowed naturally through her fingers onto the screen and when she was done she read what she had written over and a smile spread slowly across her face. She set her phone down on the counter and remembered the food in front of her which caused her to remember the woman that had brought it to her, the woman who looked at her with worry in her eyes.

She looked expectantly at Shizuru and she realized that she had never answered her question. "Oh, everything's fine." She smiled even though her eyes couldn't focus on the woman and her facial expressions and head gestures were far too animated to be normal. "Yes, everything's fine."

"Okay." Natsuki seemed unconvinced but Shizuru smiled at her and she let it go. In the weeks they had lived together Natsuki had found Shizuru to be a strange person, but she liked Shizuru's strangeness as it always had an air of creativity about it. Shizuru was weird but her art spoke for itself. "Are the police still watching your house?"

"Yes." Shizuru had noticed the unmarked car parked across the street had been there ever since she had gotten back, day and night. She wondered what the people in that car said about her or if they even thought about her at all. She was happy that they were there, who knew when the killer would stop playing games and simply come after her. "They're outside my house day and night but nothing's happened. I'm hoping that it's over with and I can go back to living my life."

Natsuki shrugged. "Maybe, but don't let your guard down yet. Not until the guy is caught." The door chime rang and two women walked in, Sagisawa Youko and her daughter Nina walked in and sat down at a table. Youko noticed Natsuki and waved, a big smile erupting across her face. "Excuse me."

Natsuki walked around the counter and walked over to Youko. They embraced like old friends and Shizuru smiled at the interaction. The daughter didn't say much, she looked almost a copy of the older woman except her eye color was different and she seemed to lack the energy that her mother carried. Youko must have introduced them because Natsuki shook her hand and the girl returned it with an detached look in her eyes that made her uneasy.

After a short conversation Natsuki took their order herself and headed back into the kitchen to make it, putting a hand on Shizuru's shoulder as she walked around the counter. Shizuru felt that gentle touch for the rest of the night.

She was about to take a bite of her food when the door opened again and she involuntarily looked back and saw a shock of dark hair that she didn't think she would ever see again. A look of surprise was on the face beneath that hair, a face that still showed the arrogance of a woman born into wealth. She looked surprised because she had entered and was looking right at Shizuru, whom she guessed was the reason she was here. "Shizuru? What luck that I would find you here, I was just going to your house to look for you."

"Why are you here, Tomoe?"

Tomoe approached and her facial expression changed to one of mock worry, Shizuru had known her long enough to tell the difference. "I've come to take you home."

Shizuru spun around in her chair until she was facing Tomoe. "And what makes you think I'm going anywhere with you? The last time we spoke I told that we were through and I meant it."

Tomoe ran a hand through her hair. "This isn't about us, Shizuru, it's about you. You're not safe here after what happened to Reiko."

"How do you know about that? It hasn't even been a day." The realization struck her like a bolt from the blue and she nearly reeled from it. "Reiko was spying for you, wasn't she?" Tomoe nodded her head and made no motion of denying it. "I'm not going back, Tomoe. I'm building a new life in this place. I've got my new house, new friends..."

"A new girlfriend, I've heard." Tomoe put her hands on her hips and cocked them to the side. "Some trash named Kuga Natsuki." Tomoe looked around the diner at the few denizens, most of whom had their attention on her. Her eyes passed over Mai and lingered for a moment. "Is she here? Where is this girlfriend of yours?"

A bell rang in the window and Mai turned around to grab the food there and take it to Youko. The door to the kitchen opened and Natsuki walked around cleaning her hands with a towel. She tossed the towel on the counter as she approached Tomoe and stood toe to toe with her. Shizuru had never noticed before but Natsuki was quite tall, at six feet in height she towered over Tomoe's five foot one. "I'm Kuga Natsuki. Is there something you want, little girl?"

Tomoe scoffed, she had never been treated so insolently by anyone, especially someone she was already angry with. "L-little girl?" She drew up to her full height and still didn't come up to Natsuki's shoulders. "I've come to take Shizuru back where she belongs, you butch."

A smirk crossed Natsuki's face. "Let me know how that works out for you, princess."

The verbal blow struck Tomoe again and her face turned red with barely suppressed anger. "Why you." Her fists clenched and Natsuki inwardly laughed. She turned her attention to Shizuru who watched the scene passively, silently supporting Natsuki. "You're not safe around these...people."

She spat the last word in contempt and Natsuki folded her arms across her chest. She eyed the woman up and down, designer shoes and handbag, sunglasses placed precisely on her head to seem as if they were haphazard, a snooty look in her eyes that looked as if she was bred to wear it. "What do you do for a living?"

"I make more money than you."

"No, you have more money than me." Tomoe scoffed as if Natsuki had just lost their argument. "But what are you going to do when that trust fund runs out, princess? Do you have any skills? Have you learned a trade? Or are you planning on selling yourself?" Tomoe's face turned to shock as she had most likely never been spoken to in such a manner. Natsuki dug through her pockets and pulled out a handful of change, dropping it at her feet. "I'll pay you to go away."

Tomoe sputtered and coughed, her face flashing through a hundred different reactions before finally settling on angry. Shizuru laughed aloud to see her so flummoxed. Tomoe shot her an angry look. "What are you laughing at? You think this is funny?"

"Yes."

Tomoe stomped her foot in the start of a tantrum. She had come here looking for a fight and had found an opponent that was beyond her. She huffed, her face red as a beet. "If I leave here, Shizuru, it will be the last you see of me."

"That's your choice."

Shizuru spun around in her chair and returned to the food that was growing cold. Natsuki returned to the kitchen and Mai followed her around the counter. Tomoe stood still for long moments before finally turning on her heels and walking to the door. "Wait." Mai called after her and she stopped with her hand on the door. "I could use a dishwasher, if you're interested."

Shizuru nearly spit out a mouthful of food and Tomoe left the diner truly humiliated. Shizuru's face turned solemn after she left, seeing Tomoe defeated by Natsuki had been a sight but she had never expected Natsuki to fight for her like that. It made her fall ever deeper in love with the woman. "Ms. Fujino." She heard a voice and turned, Youko was waving her over to their table. "You can sit with us, if you like."

Shizuru shrugged and moved her plate over to the table, sitting next to the daughter who looked up at her with the same detached look that she had given Natsuki. Youko held out her hand, "I don't think we've officially met. I'm Dr. Sagisawa Youko and this is my daughter Nina."

Shizuru shook her hand then Nina's who had a surprisingly strong handshake. "It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm Fujino Shizuru."

Nina's eyes stared straight ahead, as if she were unable to look in Shizuru's direction. Youko smiled at her daughter's behavior. "Go on, tell her." Nina stayed as stock still as she had been. "She won't bite, I promise."

Nina opened and closed her mouth a few times before finally uttering, "I'm a big fan of yours."

"Then a handshake won't do." Shizuru wrapped Nina in a hug, the younger woman struggled in her grip. Youko laughed aloud at their antics. After straightening herself out, Shizuru asked, "Which is your favorite book of mine?"

"The Knight Sky. I love the characters in that book." Her face turned sullen, or as sullen as her expressionless face turned. "I used to read it when I was depressed. It made me feel better."

A tear appeared in Shizuru's eye and she wiped it away. "That means a lot to me, Nina, and I'm glad I could be there for you in your time of need." She thought about what she had said. "Well, I wasn't there but my books were...I'm glad I could help."

They shared a laugh around the table and the talk turned to Tomoe and her embarrassing exit from the diner.

-WWW-

Midori walked up the sidewalk and to the small door on the side of a building that housed one of the many antique shops that littered the Main Street of the town. She and Yuuichi had split up to cover more ground and she had talked to four tanners so far today and was unable to find anyone who had worked with wolf pelts recently. The last one had pointed her in this direction, to a man who did special orders out of a small shop.

She walked up to the door and knocked. A moment later the door opened a crack and bloodshot eyes peered out of the opening. "We're closed today, come back tomorrow."

Midori took out her badge and held it before the opening. "I'm Detective Sugiura with the Fuuka Police Department, may I have a word?"

"Just a minute." She heard shuffling from behind the door followed by the opening and closing of drawers. Minutes later the door opened and a gaunt man stood behind it, his skin yellowed with age. "Come in."

She walked in and was hit with the intense smell of chemicals mixed in with a familiar smell to her. Opium. He led her into a small sitting room situated before the work room and she sat down in a small wooden chair while he poured himself a cup of coffee and sat down in the only other chair in the room. "You are aware of the murders taking place around town?"

"Ah." The man nodded in apparent understanding. "You've come looking for the wolf man."

"He was here?"

"He was." The man's eyes seemed listless, as if he couldn't concentrate on any one thing in particular. "It was a few months ago, I think. A man walks in here with the body of a wolf, I don't know how he came upon it I merely assumed that he had killed it, and wanted to know if I could make him a suit from it. I told him I would need more than just the one wolf and over the next few days he returned with more until he had brought nearly ten of them. It was quite a sight to see and I wondered how he had managed to get them around town but, again, I didn't ask questions. I merely got to work. It was a long job, weeks of hard work but finally I had made the outfit he requested. Then he asked for the strangest thing, he wanted the head of one of them sewn onto it as a hood. I obliged, you have to understand he paid very good money for this, and when he put it on he seemed almost to dance with happiness. A strange man."

He was hitting all the right notes and Midori knew that she had found what she was looking for. "Did he give you his name?"

The man smiled as if that were a stupid question. "Names are not so important in my line of work."  
"Can you describe him?"

The man looked away as if struggling to find the answer. "He was a large man with dark hair. Unkempt, he was very unkempt, dirty I would say. He walked with a hunch as if it were a style and he had four toes on his left foot. I noticed because he wore no shoes, even in winter."

It wasn't much to go on but it was a start and Midori was excited to have even that. She stood and shook the man's hand. "Thank you, you have been a big help."

"If I had known what he intended to do..."

"You would have done the right thing." Midori allayed his fears that he could be tried as accomplice. "You're trying to make a living and no one can fault you for that."

"Thank you, detective." The man showed relief on his face as he followed Midori out of the shop and stood in the doorway until she was out of sight.

Midori sauntered out to her car and drove to the station where Yuuichi was already waiting for her. She checked the time and noticed that it was passed eight o'clock, the sun had gone down and she yawned having driven all over town in pursuit of answers.

"I came up empty, Midori. How did you do?"

"I got a description."

"Let me see." She showed Yuuichi on her phone where she had written the tanner's description of the killer and Yuuichi was going to punch it into the computer when he looked at it again and rubbed his chin with his finger. "You know who that reminds me of. That guy that hangs around the diner, really dirty and smells terrible. You know, the one obsessed with Kuga Natsuki."

"Masashi Takeda?"

"Yeah, that guy. This sounds a lot like him."

The wheels in Midori's head started to turn. "It seemed like Fujino Shizuru was connected to all the murders but if she's connected to Kuga Natsuki then it could be that..." The realization struck her like a stone. "We've been looking in the wrong place."

Midori nearly ran to the police chief's office and threw the door open, startling the older man who nearly spilled a cup of coffee he had been nursing onto a table full of forms. "Chief, we need to place an APB out on Masashi Takeda. I have reason to believe that he is the Werewolf killer."

-WWW-

The diner closed at ten o'clock and Shizuru walked out of the front doors with Youko and Nina and together they walked through the parking lot to their respective cars. Their conversation had been light, Youko had asked of her history with Tomoe and Shizuru was glad to tell it. Afterwards she felt relieved, as if a weight had been lifted from her. Youko just seemed to have a comforting way about her and Shizuru found herself a little jealous of Midori for that.

Shizuru had asked about Natsuki, about the years that Youko had been her therapist. She wouldn't say much, citing doctor/patient confidentiality, but she did say that Natsuki was an intelligent woman with a bad past who was trying to make the best of a bad situation. She mentioned Natsuki's fondness for wolves and Shizuru filed the information away under Natsuki - Gift Ideas.

After that the conversation turned to Nina and about her estranged relationship with her mother. Shizuru was touched by the story and felt for the older woman, if she had a daughter she couldn't imagine making that choice. She mentioned it and Youko merely smiled. "But it all worked out in the end, didn't it Nina?"

Youko had a calm sensitivity that Shizuru found pleasing, before long she had confessed to her that she was in love with Natsuki. She hadn't meant to and she inwardly wondered if Youko had tricked her for that information. She went over the conversation in her head but couldn't find anything there to support her claim, but the feeling that she had been tricked never left her. Youko was supportive of her love, saying that Natsuki needed that kind of influence in her life. "She's trying to change and she needs someone like you to help see that through. If she keeps hanging out with the people that she was with then she is more likely to relapse."

"You can't tell any of this to Natsuki." Shizuru feared having her feelings revealed, feared that Natsuki would react badly if she heard it through rumor. If Natsuki was going to find out it would be because she told her. "She can't know how I feel."

Youko touched the back of her hand. "Just tell her."

"No. Promise me you'll keep my secret."

"My lips are sealed, Shizuru."

"Thank you."

Now they walked out together, having lost track of time and being forcibly removed by Mai who was anxious to get home and watch some show she was caught up in. Nina suddenly patted her pockets and turned back to the diner. "I forgot my phone, I'll just be a minute."

Nina ran off towards the diner leaving Shizuru and Youko standing between their two cars. Shizuru opened her mouth to speak but a loud howling sounded on the air and she turned to her right and nearly fainted. Staring right at her was a man, at least what looked like a man, with a wolf's head instead of a man's. It reminded her instantly of Natsuki and her terrible form. It stood hunched, though it still stood taller than either Shizuru or Youko, it's hands were claws and it's feet were bare. Cold, dead eyes looked right at her and a clawed finger pointed in her direction.

_No more games, he's finally come for me._


	10. Chapter 10

**Hunting Party**

Midori pulled into the driveway of her house and opened the door expecting to smell good home cooking and see her daughter, it was still weird to think about her like that, sitting on the sofa watching TV. She would go into the kitchen, give Youko a kiss on the cheek and ask what she was making. It would be something delicious then she would go upstairs to shower and change before eating dinner with her family.

This was not the case tonight as she walked in to an empty house, only one lamp on in the living room to give the impression that someone was home. "Youko, honey. Are you here?" She checked upstairs in their bedroom, in the kitchen, even the bathroom. "Nina? Somebody?" She checked her daughter's room and didn't find anyone. She was starting to get worried so she pulled out her phone and called Youko's cell.

The phone rang, then a second time, then a third time before the voice mail picked up. She shut her phone off and feared the worst had happened. Her phone rang and she quickly unlocked it and put it to her ear. "Youko?"

"Mom." It was Nina and she sounded distraught. "Something bad has happened, mom got attacked. They're taking her to the hospital."  
"I'll be right there."

She hung up the phone and slipped it back into her pocket on the run. She took the stairs two at a time and slammed through the front door of her house, not stopping to lock it, then bolted to her car and threw herself behind the wheel. She drove frantically to the hospital, making the normally ten minute drive in under four. She got there and saw that the ambulance had beat her there, a gurney was being wheeled in and she recognized a shock of dark hair and the girl who ran beside it. Nina.

Midori sprinted and caught up with the gurney as it made it's way down the hall surrounded by shouting doctors on the way to the ER. She ran up to Nina who recognized her and threw herself into Midori's waiting arms. "What happened, Nina?"

"It was the werewolf killer." Midori had never heard much emotion from her daughter so hearing all of the desperation in it now was quite unsettling. "He attacked mom and kidnapped Ms. Fujino."

Midori followed the gurney as far as they would let her then took Nina to the waiting room where Nina sat down and Midori paced the floor nervously waiting for a sign that her lover would be alright.

-WWW-

"Run."

Shizuru backed up slowly and Youko turned her head in the direction she was looking. She froze at the sight of the wolf's head and wanted to scream but she felt Shizuru's hand grab her arm and pull her behind her. "Run to the diner and make a lot of noise, get someone to call the police. I'll hold him off."

"How are you going to do that?"

"I'll think of something. Hurry."

Everything seemed to run in slow motion for Shizuru. Youko turned and ran towards the diner in the same instant as the wolf man sprinted towards them. Shizuru stood her ground, knowing that she was it's target, and intended to stop it. Rather than charge her, however, the creature leaped onto the car and ran passed her towards Youko who was running full sprint for the diner. Shizuru turned and chased him down, tackling him from behind as he neared Youko, buying her time. The man kicked and hit her in the face. She saw stars and her ears rang but she held on as he struggled. He kicked her again and she felt blood running down her nose and from her mouth but she still held on.

Youko had reached the door and was banging on it as loud as she could, yelling for anyone to call the police. Shizuru couldn't hold on any longer and let him go. He scrambled to his feet and charged straight at Youko with his claws out. Shizuru watched helplessly from the ground as the man ran his claws into her abdomen and back out. Youko fell, blood dripping down her and onto the window and as she fell she noticed that Nina was standing on the other side of the window with her phone out and tears running down her cheeks.

Shizuru didn't know if Youko was alive but she had recognized the man beneath the hood and used this information to her advantage. "Hey Takeda, me and Natsuki had sex the other night." She laughed through the pain, trying to anger him, trying to get him away from Youko. "She was amazing, it's too bad you'll never know, asshole."

He turned to face her with a snarl and ran fast towards her. She saw Natsuki at the door struggling with the lock. Takeda ran up to her and kicked her in the side of the head then scooped her up into his powerful arms and took off running again. She saw the door open and Natsuki run out before she passed out. _Please Natsuki, save me._

-WWW-

Natsuki was in the kitchen washing the last plates that needed it when she heard the pounding on the window and Mai yelling her name. She threw the dish in her hand back into the sink and ran to the dining room wiping her hands with a clean towel. She saw Mai shouting for her to help while Nina, Youko's daughter, was facing the window with a phone in her hand and she could hear her sobbing. "Hello, my mom's being attacked at Mai's Diner. We need help, please."

She saw blood as she ran towards the door and saw Youko fall to the floor leaving a streak of blood on the window. Natsuki hit the door full force and nearly took it off of it's hinges. She fumbled with the lock while surveying the scene before her. Shizuru lay on her back ten feet away from Youko who lay on her belly in a growing pool of blood. The creature that stood over Youko reminded her of her father but she quickly recognized the imitation of a werewolf. She saw something beneath the wolf's head and recognized the face underneath. _It's Takeda. But why?_ She saw Takeda turn at something that was said, she couldn't make out what Shizuru had shouted but it had caught his attention. Takeda ran towards her at full speed and kicked her in the head then scooped her up in his arms and took off away from the diner. She hit the lock and it popped open. She threw open the door and burst from it at full sprint, following the faint outline of Takeda who had a good headstart on her.

Takeda rounded a corner and she followed, trying to close the distance. She ran across a parking lot and watched him toss Shizuru haphazardly into the bed of a still running truck then dive through the already open door into the cab and hit the accelerator. The truck lurched forward and she contemplated changing forms and trying to overtake him but reasoned that by the time the change was done the truck would be long gone and she didn't have the speed to keep up with a speeding car. She slowed to a stop at the edge of the parking lot and watched the taillights of the truck disappear into the night. She screamed her anger into the darkness and received no answer.

She jogged back to the diner to see if Youko was okay and found Nina bent over her and holding her hand with an iron grip. "The ambulance will be here soon just stay awake."

Youko's breathing was haggard as she looked her daughter in the eyes for what could be the last time. "I'm sorry, Nina. I'm so sorry for leaving you all those years ago. I've hated myself since."  
"No, don't say that." Nina wiped tears from her eyes, from how puffy and red they were one could tell that she was unused to it. "You're not dying, mom, not after I just came back. You're going to be okay."

Natsuki ran up and knelt beside Nina and checked Youko's wounds. The claws had bit into her pretty deep and she was bleeding profusely from eight wounds in her back and sides. _There are too many wounds to compress, she's going to bleed out if the ambulance doesn't get here soon._ As she thought this she heard sirens over the night air and saw the flashing lights of the ambulance speeding down the road with several police vehicles following it. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up into the green eyes of Mai. She stood and Mai stood next to her, putting an arm gently around her. "I couldn't catch him." Her voice was as hollow and empty as she felt, powerless. "He took her and I couldn't do anything about it."

"The police will find him. We'll get her back."

They stood together and watched as the ambulance pulled up nearby and two men and woman ran out of it, one pulling a gurney behind him as he ran. She fell to her knees over Youko and started checking her pulse and vitals. Nina stepped away from her mom and stood next to Natsuki and Mai who all watched everything unfold.

The EMTs rolled her onto her back to stop the bleeding, then stuck an IV into her arm and lifted her onto the gurney. Nina followed them to the ambulance intent on riding with them to the hospital. She had her phone in her hand, calling Midori as she stepped up into the ambulance and they shut the doors behind her.

Two police officers approached after the ambulance took off and cordoned off the area. Another, the senior as indicated by the more colorful tassels on his uniform, approached Mai and Natsuki who still stood near where the body had been. "Did you two see everything?"

Mai and Natsuki both shook their heads but it was Natsuki who spoke first. "No, I was in the back washing dishes when I heard someone yelling and ran to the front of the store. I saw the attacker, it was Masashi Takeda. He was wearing some sort of leather outfit with a wolf's head as the hood, he had it pulled over his head and he was attacking Youko."

"Did he have a gun or use a knife?"

"Neither, he was using claws." Natsuki wondered what the reasoning behind the werewolf outfit was but she didn't have to think too hard about it. It was no secret that he was infatuated with her, and she envisioned this scenario was one big cry for her attention. He had it, but not in the way he expected.

"We have an APB out on Masashi Takeda, we'll find him."

"He kidnapped a woman. Fujino Shizuru."

The officer typed it down quickly onto his tablet. "Like I said, we'll find them. Don't worry."

_You have a better chance of finding your ass with both hands._ Natsuki didn't believe this cop could find his socks in the morning and she was damn sure he couldn't find Takeda. It was up to her to rescue Shizuru but she wasn't quite sure where to start. She thought of asking Detective Sugiura for help but knew that the older woman wouldn't be receptive to her pleas considering their history.

The officer moved on to Mai and, as was usual with men, he spent most of the interview staring at her chest. Natsuki walked away with her head low and her spirits even lower. She wondered if Nao was still at her house, if anyone could find Takeda it would be the leader of the Stripes gang that used to terrorize some of the local businesses in the area. She pulled out her phone and called Nao's cell, she picked up quickly. "Nao, do you still have your old contacts from the Stripes?"

"Yeah, why do you need something? Did something happen?" Nao had been waiting for this moment ever since she had spoken to Sakomizu and she recognized the anxiety in Natsuki's voice.

"I need to find Masashi Takeda. It's urgent."

"So it's him." Nao seethed with barely contained anger, her grandmother's killer finally had a face and she intended to put a bullet through it. "Meet me at the Stallion, I'll introduce you."

She mounted her motorcycle and headed home to change out of her work clothes and into something more suited to the occasion. She left the house wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, black jeans and a pair of black riding boots and headed straight from there to the bar, the neons lights seeming more ominous on this visit than they had before. She parked next to Nao's car and walked into the bar where Nao was taking to the bartender standing next to a woman wearing a baseball cap that she felt like she recognized but couldn't quite place. It was only when she got close and the woman lifted her head up and said her name that she knew who it was. "Detective Sugiura?"

-WWW-

Midori sat in the waiting room with her arm around Nina waiting to hear anything about Youko's condition. She checked her watch and noticed that they had been there for nearly an hour. As every minute ticked by her heart beat faster as her anxiety increased. Finally a man in a white doctor's coat approached them. She stood and Nina stood with her. "Ms. Sugiura, I'm Dr. Omura. It looks like Ms. Sagisawa is going to be fine. Her wounds were quite deep but they managed to hit nothing vital. She will have stitches for a time so she should be careful..."

The doctor's mouth kept moving but Midori didn't hear anything he said, she was full of relief to hear that Youko was going to be okay. Now her mind was turning to the next issue, finding Masashi Takeda and bringing him to justice. "Can we see her?"

"Yes, she's out of ICU now and we have her in her own room. She is sleeping so please don't wake her."

The doctor led Midori and Nina through many white hallways where they could hear screaming from an unknown source further in the building. It reminded Midori of why she disliked hospitals, she didn't trust anyplace that had a morgue attached for convenience. They arrived outside a room with a placard on the wall that read two names, the bottom one being Sagisawa Y.

Midori gingerly opened the door and walked in with Nina right behind her. Two beds occupied the room with a curtain dividing them, the first was occupied by an elderly woman hooked up to a respirator. The second contained Youko who was sleeping peacefully when Midori approached the bed and sat down beside it.

She sighed as she looked at her girlfriend's face, the face she had woken up to for years, now it was deathly pale and she felt like she could cry. "I can't help but feel like this is my fault." She spoke to no one in particular as she ran her hand gently through Youko's hair. "If I had caught this guy he wouldn't have attacked you." She bit her lip to bite back the emotions that were threatening to jump out of her at a moment's notice. "I love you, Youko."

Nina started to tear up herself from the display. Youko chose that moment for her eyes to flutter open and see the red haired woman trying not to cry above her. "Mido-chan? Am I dead?"

"No."

"That's exactly what an angel version of you would say."

A smile spread slowly across Midori's face, a smile of laughter and relief, she was relieved to see Youko alive. She didn't know what she would have done otherwise. Nina also smiled and felt the same relief as Midori did to see her mom alive. Midori found herself laughing wholeheartedly. "I'm no angel, I can tell you that."

Youko's hand reached up and stroked Midori's cheek. "You could have fooled me." She winced at the motion and immediately put her hand back down. "It doesn't hurt too bad."

"You're on a lot of painkillers, honey."

Youko's eyes found Nina and brightened even more. "Hey, girl."  
Midori stepped back from the bed and allowed Nina to sit next to her mother. "I was so scared, mom. I'm so glad to see you're okay." Nina took her mother's hand and held it reassuringly, thought whether she was reassuring her mom or herself Midori didn't know. "That man, he took Ms. Fujino."

Youko's face didn't change, she still smiled up at her daughter. "Don't worry, Midori is the best detective in the world. She can find Takeda and save Shizuru."

_Right, I should get to that while it's fresh._ Midori opened her phone and started to call her partner before she hung up the phone. _I won't involve him in this. This is personal._ "I will find him and I'll make him pay for what he's done to you, Youko."

"Are you going to arrest him mom?"

Nina's question caught her off-guard, she had no intention of arresting Masashi Takeda. He had attacked her family and that was something that she couldn't forgive. "Something like that." She leaned over the bed and gave Youko a kiss on the lips, a kiss that Youko barely felt through the morphine. "I'll be back soon to see you." She turned to Nina. "Do you want me to take you home?'

"No, I'll take a cab home. Go get him, mom."

Nina didn't know it but what she said energized Midori and she knew that she would do whatever it took to bring Takeda to justice. "Okay. Be safe, sweetheart." She kissed Nina on the forehead and left the room, walking through the hospital with revenge on her mind. _And I know someone who could help me._ She pulled out her phone and searched through her notes until she found a number she had written down in case she needed to ask more questions of the woman. She dialed the phone and a woman answered. "Yuuki Nao."

"Who is this?"

"This is Detective Sugiura Midori. If you want revenge for your grandmother meet me at the bar in ten."

She hung up the phone and was on her way out the door when she heard a familiar voice call her name. It was Yuuichi. "Midori, hey where are you going?" She turned to face him and he stopped to talk to her. "I heard about Youko, I just came to pay my respects."

"She should be resting, if you do go up there don't stay for too long. Oh, and make sure Nina gets home safe."

"Where are you going, Midori?" The wheels clicked in his head and he recognized the fierce look in her eyes. "You're going to go find him, aren't you." The fiery look in her eyes confirmed his suspicions and he decided to try to talk some sense into her. "Look, I can understand how you're feeling but don't act rashly."

"The longer we wait, the less likely that we're going to find Fujino Shizuru alive." Yuuichi hadn't heard that she had been kidnapped and seemed stunned by the news. "As for arresting him," she slid her hand into her jacket and ran her hand along the .45 she had there, "I have a feeling that he's going to resist. Now go, I don't want you to be a part of this. You could lose your badge."

"What about you?"

Yuuichi seemed genuinely concerned but Midori was behind caring now. Only one thing mattered to her. "I'm willing to take that chance." She walked away from Yuuichi who sighed and headed for the elevator. He considered getting Youko to convince Midori but he wasn't sure even that would work. He had never seen such fire in the woman's eyes and he shivered at the memory. _That woman can be scary._

Midori walkout briskly to her car and drove like mad to the bar where she spotted Yuuki Nao standing next to her car with a cigarette in her hand. She got out of the car and approached the woman. "I've gotta say, I was surprised when you called Midori. I sure as hell wasn't expecting this."

Midori grit her teeth. "The bastard attacked my family, he's a dead man, but first we need to find Masashi Takeda."

Nao recognized the name instantly. Having been friends with Natsuki for so long she definitely knew the name of her stalker. "I heard."

"We need to find him, but I ran him through the system before I left work and couldn't find an address for him. No phone number, bank accounts or anything digital. He's a ghost."

"He lives off the grid, but I know someone who might be able to help. Let's go inside," she started walking towards the bar, "I need to set up a meeting."

Midori followed Nao inside and waited by the bar while Nao spoke to the bartender in low tones while they both eyed her warily. She was about to mention how she wasn't here as a cop when a dark haired woman walked through the door and her brow fell an inch. Kuga Natsuki seemed to have the same reaction to her presence as well.

Nao smiled as Natsuki walked up, the bartender smirked. "Two hot women, Nao? You must be popular today."

"Right."

The bartender, whom Nao referred to as Deacon, made a phone call while they stood and waited. Midori looked Natsuki up and down which irritated the woman. "Is this some kind of hunting party, then?"

"Looks like it." Midori hadn't expected to see Natsuki here but considering her proximity to Nao and the fact that Shizuru had been kidnapped she wasn't surprised. Natsuki had as much stake in this as her and Nao. "I'm just here to rescue Shizuru, that's all."

"I respect that." She did. It was no secret that Midori despised Natsuki, she considered her a lowlife drug addict who could never make it in the real world, but seeing her here for the sole purpose of saving Ms. Fujino showed her a virtue of Natsuki's, determination. It was humanizing. "Once we get in there it's going to be tough, are you sure you're up for it."

Natsuki nodded. "I won't hold you back."

Deacon closed his phone and addressed Nao. "It's unusual but he's going to meet you tonight. He should be here in ten minutes."

"Then how about some drinks." Midori spoke up. "I could use one."

"No problem, I'll just put it on Nao's tab." Nao made a show of pouting and Deacon smiled and ruffled her hair a bit. Midori wondered what the relationship was between those two, he was very fatherly towards her. Perhaps he's taking care of her since her father is dead. "Here you are, ladies."

Nao and Midori took their glasses and Midori handed one to Natsuki who started to refuse, due to her dislike for Midori, but she decided to bury the hatchet and took the glass. Nao led them over to a table, Midori deduced that it was her favorite table as her name was carved in it, and they took a drink from their beer. "Takeda, I never thought he'd be capable of this."

Natsuki seemed truly perturbed by it, Midori was curious. "Drugs will make you do crazy things, Natsuki. You should know that."

Natsuki stayed somber, not taking the Detective's bait. "I never knew him that well, other than his crush on me, but I always thought he was harmless."

"I want to know why the werewolf outfit." It was the question that had haunted Midori since she found out about it. It was the only piece to this puzzle that didn't easily fit and she needed it to fit. "Apparently he paid good money for it, I doubt it's random." Natsuki shrugged but something in the way she shrugged or the slight shift in facial expression told her that she knew more than that. Midori decided not to press it, she would have all her answers soon enough.

They sat quietly until a portly man trundled through the door and looked around the bar. Nao waved to him and he walked over to their table and sat down next to Natsuki who, despite the size of the bench she was sitting on, still had to make room for him. She was surprised the table didn't suffocate him. "So, you've found the Werewolf killer. Interesting, interesting."

Midori recognized the man, Sakomizu Ryon, he had come across her desk on a case she was working a while back. Apparently he was on disability for his weight but he found work as a private investigator, using his skill with computers and a few locals he paid to gather information for him, to earn a decent living. She had come across his desk because it was believed he had a connection to the street gang known as the Stripes, a gang that had vanished a few years ago. She had come up empty in her case but still held her suspicions. "We need you to find Masashi Takeda."

"So Takeda was the killer, interesting." He pulled a large tablet from a satchel he wore and started typing in it. No doubt he would sell this information to the media for a high price. _So much for discretion._ "I can't say I know much about the man. He haunts the back alleys of Main Street at night but as for where he lives..."

"You've got to have something."

"I believe I do." Sakomizu scanned through his tablet until he came upon the information desired. "It seems that the Masashis still own a piece of land north of the city. No one has seen it in years but I hear that there's a cabin out there. It seems like a likely place to hide for a serial killer. That's where I would start, anyway." Sakomizu typed into his tablet and Nao's phone signalled she had a message. "I sent you the directions." Sakomizu looked over the tablet and over at Nao with a gleam in his eyes. "Now for my payment." Midori wondered what this 'payment' was, she wasn't about to let Nao have sex with this man for what little he gave them. "Tomoe Marguerite was seen in town yesterday, then left quite suddenly. Why?"

_Who is Tomoe Marguerite and why is Sakomizu interested in her?_ Natsuki was the one who answered the question. "She was here trying to get Shizuru back. She left because I ran her off." _So she's Shizuru's ex-girlfriend. I wonder what her and Natsuki's relationship is?_

Sakomizu took down the information and closed his tablet. "Excellent. Thank you and I hope your hunt goes well."

Sakomizu squeezed himself out of the booth and took off. After he left Midori looked at Nao who sat next to her. "Why did he want to know about this Tomoe?"

Nao finished off the beer in her glass. "He's going to write an article about it and sell it to a tabloid. Shizuru is a pretty hot topic right now, he'll likely get a pretty penny. Especially since he's the first one to get the story."

"And you're okay with this?"

Natsuki shrugged. "We know where he is, now. Let's go get him."

Midori nodded and stood, as the de facto leader of their hunting party she felt it was her duty to prep her people. "Come with me." She led them out to her car and opened the trunk. Inside was a plethora of guns and ammunition, from pistols and a shotgun all the way to an assault rifle tucked away in the back. "Pick one, but take care of it. I want it back after this is over."

Nao took out a small 9mm pistol that felt comfortable in her hands and Midori checked her own .45. Natsuki turned away, Midori looked at her inquisitively. "You should take a weapon."

"I have a weapon." The way Natsuki said it sounded off to Midori. "Let's go, the longer we wait the more likely we find Shizuru dead."

_Why didn't you mention this weapon earlier? What are you hiding, Natsuki?_ They got in the car and Midori started it up, making sure she had enough gas for the long drive out to the hidden Masashi land.

-WWW-

The long ride out to the Masashi land was a trying one for Natsuki who was trying to sort out her feelings for the coming fight. She wasn't lying when she told Midori she had a weapon, if push came to shove her wolf form would devour Takeda with a smile on it's face.

**Do it, release me.**

_No, not here._

She sat in the back of Midori's car and struggled with herself, her anger towards Takeda and her anxiety towards Shizuru. Shizuru had become very important to her and she wouldn't lose her. Not to Takeda, not to Tomoe, not to anyone.

Midori's car was the natural choice, as a police vehicle it wouldn't look suspicious at the scene and the car was black making it tough to see at night. Midori drove with the lights off so as not to give away their presence and when the cabin came in sight she let the car glide to a stop so as not to make any sound. It was obvious that she had experience with this sort of thing.

Natsuki was out of the car first. She opened the door quietly and stepped out onto the grass. Through the trees she could make out a faint light coming from the cabin. Midori and Nao stood around her and loaded their weapons. Midori, as the leader, went over the plan with them. "I want Nao to set up outside of the front and Natsuki, I want you in the back in case he tries to run. I'll enter through the front door and try to flush him out. You two need to be ready."

Natsuki and Nao nodded, but Natsuki had no intention of following her orders. Natsuki was going after Shizuru no matter what Midori said. They split up to take their positions, Natsuki snuck carefully through the trees that surrounded the cabin until she could see the back door clearly.

She snuck towards the door and nearly jumped when she heard a loud bellow. "Get back here you bitch." It was Takeda. She heard crashing through the door and then it flew open, a tawny haired woman barreled through and out into the yard. She was looking behind her and when she ran into Natsuki her first reaction was panic. Natsuki put her arms around Shizuru and whispered in her ear, "It's okay, I'm here to save you."

Shizuru immediately relaxed into her grip. "I knew you'd come for me." She had dried blood on her face from her altercation with Takeda earlier and she was out of breath from her exertions. Natsuki held her close and waited.

"I'm going to find you." She heard a bellow come from the open door and straightened when a figure in a full wolf outfit burst through and stopped dead in it's tracks when it spotted Natsuki. Masashi Takeda withered under Natsuki's glare, a glare that promised pain in retribution. Blood ran down his face from his eye which had been stabbed out. His face changed to a more welcoming smile. "Hey, Natsuki. How have you been?"

"Fine." Her look never wavered nor weakened, she was intensely focused. "Why do this?"

"Why do I do anything? Because I love you."

"Stop it. Stop using me to justify your delusional actions."

"I just wanted you to know that it's okay. That I understand what you are and that I love you for it." Natsuki's eyes widened in understanding, Takeda knew about her condition. How he had found out she didn't know, maybe she had gotten high and changed or maybe he had followed her like Shizuru had. She didn't care how he knew now, it was too late to change any of this. "I love you, yet here you are embracing this siren, this harpy, this succubus." His voice became more unstable and dangerous. "Let her go, Natsuki. Let me destroy her."

Natsuki's anger boiled over. It was bad enough that Takeda was using her as an excuse to go on a rampage but to kidnap Shizuru, call her those names and theaten to kill her was crossing the line. She felt the beast rise to the front of her thoughts. **Free me, let me destroy him.** She didn't fight it.

She pushed Shizuru behind her and stood before Takeda for the showdown. The change started and the voice that erupted from her was only vaguely reminiscent of Natsuki, a deep rolling laughter filled the space between them. Shizuru scampered behind a nearby tree. She knew what was coming.

"**So you're the pretender, the lamb in wolf's clothing.**" The change came over her but even the cracking of bones couldn't drown out the sound of the devilish voice that came from her. "**The real wolf has come now, and your time has run out.**"


	11. Chapter 11

**The Wolf is Loose**

Shizuru woke up on an unconfortable bed in a dark room with no idea of where she was of how she got there. The last thing she remembered was being struck by Takeda then carried off while Natsuki gave chase. _He must have brought me here._ Her suspicions were confirmed when she felt her face and dried blood flaked away from her nose that had been recently set. _He must have set my nose, but why?_

She sat up slowly, painfully as the soreness from their fight settled in. Her neck cracked in a few places as she turned her head to try to see around her but darkness obscured everything. Her muscles ached as she threw her legs off the side of the bed she lay on and felt around her. The bed felt like little more than a wooden frame and some straw for a mattress. She felt around the walls and found them bare until she found something that could only be a light switch. She flicked it both ways and nothing happened. Her heart sank.

She felt her way back to the bed and sat down. With nothing to see and nothing to do but wait her thoughts ran to Natsuki and the rescue that she hoped was coming. The more she thought about it the more she realized that Takeda would probably kill her before anyone could find her. The thought made her want to cry, to lash out at anything nearby but more than anything it made her want to fight. _He won't get the pleasure of hearing me beg._

She heard the sound of a small engine nearby and the lights suddenly flickered on, blinding her for a moment until her eyes adjusted. She looked around her and found herself in essentially a prison cell, completely bare except for the bed that she had laid on. She examined the door and noticed that it didn't have a handle, at least not on the inside. She wondered what Takeda used this room for. She tensed when she heard heavy footsteps outside the door, balling her fists ready to spend her last breath fighting for her life.

She heard a lock click from the other side of the door and it swung open to the outside. In walked Takeda still wearing the wolf costume and carrying something in his hands that looked something like a book. He held it out to her with a smile on his face and she realized that it was a book. Her book. "I read White Wolf Whispers and I loved it. Will you sign my copy. Please?"

"Are you serious?" Shizuru couldn't believe what she was hearing. _He kidnaps me and is holding me hostage gods know where and he seriously expects me to sign his book? What's wrong with him? Still, maybe I should try to get on his good side._ She shrugged and took the book from him. "Do you have a pen?"

"Inside."

She opened the book to the first page and found a pen in the fold of the book. She took it out and awkwardly set the book against the wall and scribbled her autograph on the inside of the cover. She faked sliding the pen into the book and secreted it into her pocket, after years of writing she was very handy with a pen, then handed the book to Takeda and prayed he didn't notice.

The first thing he did was open the book to see the autograph. She flinched, expecting his retaliation, but instead he laughed and did a little dance in place in front of the door. "This is great, this is great. You know Natsuki is a fan of yours too. She just loves your books."

"She told me."

Shizuru was getting less frightened by the man in front of her and more intrigued. Had he kidnapped her just to have this conversation? "I do enjoy your work," his laughter suddenly died, his mirth replaced with severity, "but I'm still going to have to kill you." She gripped the pen in her pocket tightly and tensed. "I won't lose Natsuki, not to you, not to anyone."

They stood still facing each other, Shizuru nearly shaking in anxiety. She had a question she had wanted to ask Takeda when she had first been approached by him at the diner, and considering that he might kill her she thought it a good time to ask. "You do know that she's a lesbian, right?" An obvious question but one that had been bugging her for a while now.

"I know that she's been with women but I think she's waiting for the right man, you know. The man who can show her the love and affection she needs."

"And you think that's you?"

"I know that's me."

The strength of his words caught Shizuru off guard. _He actually thinks that he can turn Natsuki straight._ After the night they shared together Shizuru laughed at the idea, she knew that Natsuki could never love a man, especially not him. Shizuru found herself laughing aloud, Takeda visibly angered. "Then you really are an idiot." Takeda lashed out with his palm and slapped Shizuru in the face. She took the hit with confidence, never falling back. "She doesn't love you and she never will."

"You're lying."

Takeda was getting angry but Shizuru was beyond caring. If she was going to die then he was going to get an earful before she did. "You think I'm lying, dumbass? When was the last time she actually talked to you?" Takeda looked around like he was trying to remember. "See, you can't even remember."

"And what about you?" Takeda turned the question back on her. "Do you think she loves you?"

"I don't know." Shizuru had contemplated this very question for days now, Natsuki seemed to be foremost on her thoughts now. "I just want to be near her, even if we're just friends and I have to bury my love for her."

"You see, you have no conviction." Takeda acted as if he had won their verbal sparring match, he stood with his chest out and his hands at his waist. "I won't stop until Natsuki loves me. I remember when I first realized I loved her. It was after she pulled me out of a bad situation, I would be dead if she hadn't saved me." He grew suddenly pensive, his mood swings were starting to annoy Shizuru, who liked her villains to at least be consistent. She knew about the rescue, Natsuki had told her about it over a month ago when she had just moved to Fuuka. "After I looked in her eyes while we were driving away from that place I knew that I loved her. When I first found out that she is a werewolf I was scared, but then I realized that what she wanted most was someone to understand her. So I had this outfit made and went out as a werewolf. Now I understand and now I can show her that I understand." Takeda leaned forward. "Do you understand?"

"Clearly. You're a fucking psychopath." She drew the pen from her pocket and in one smooth motion, too fast for him to react to it, she stabbed him in the right eye with it. Blood spurted from the socket as he screamed and reached to pull the pen out. She took the opportunity to bowl into him, knocking him over, then she dashed through the opened door into the cabin beyond. She slammed the door shut behind her and heard Takeda shouting and screaming at her through it but she took a moment to breathe and gather her bearings.

She was standing in a large living room with three doors other than the one she had just left. She heard pounding coming from her 'cell' and realized that she needed to hurry. He most likely knew how to open that door from the inside and she didn't have much time left. She checked each door to see if one might lead out but the entire cabin seemed to be devoid of windows and without her bearings she had no idea which one would get her out of the cabin. She tried the one directly opposite where she stood but it opened into the bedroom. She kicked the next door in and found a bathroom. As she approached the third door she could feel a breeze coming from beneath it. _That must be the way out._

She fumbled with the locks, there were five in all. She had unlatched the fourth when the door to her 'cell' flew open and an enraged Takeda ran out with blood running down his face. "You won't get out of here alive." He screamed at the top of his lungs. "Do you hear me, Fujino? I'm going to kill you." She quickly worked the last lock and managed to get it undone in a hurry. She turned the handle and drove through the door, looking back to see if he was still behind her. "Get back here you bitch." When she collided with a person she nearly panicked until she heard a familiar voice, an angelic voice that she had longed to hear. "It's okay, I'm here to save you."

She relaxed into Natsuki's arms, confident that the strong woman would make good on her word. Natsuki wrapped her arms around her and she melted into the embrace, relieved that the nightmare seemed to be over.

Takeda was right behind her out the door. "I'm going to find you." Takeda charged through the door and stopped dead in his tracks when he noticed Natsuki. He smiled and Shizuru had never hated anyone more than she hated Masashi Takeda in this moment. "Hey, Natsuki. How have you been?"

"Fine." She could almost hear Natsuki grinding her teeth in anger though the woman seemed to be in startling conrol of herself. She didn't shake nor stir as she glared at Takeda with a loathing that withered even her. "Why do this?"

"Why do I do anything? Because I love you."

He said it as if it were the most natural thing in the world, as if Natsuki had asked a stupid question. The answer couldn't be more obvious, right? Natsuki didn't seem to think so, she seethed. "Stop it. Stop using me to justify your delusional actions."

"I just wanted you to know that it's okay. That I understand what you are and that I love you for it." This was the same sentiment that Takeda had told her during their conversation. Natsuki's eyes widened and Shizuru could tell that she was surprised that Takeda knew about her secret. Shizuru wanted to comfort her, but now was definitely not the time. "I love you, yet here you are embracing this siren, this harpy, this succubus. Let her go, Natsuki. Let me destroy her."

Shizuru felt something shift in Natsuki before she pushed her behind her. Shizuru knew exactly what it meant and dove behind the nearest tree for cover. She knew what was coming and didn't want to be near when it happened.

"**So you're the pretender, the lamb in wolf's clothing.**" It was Natsuki's voice but something was definitely wrong with it. It sounded more feral, and far deeper than her voice normally was. It seemed to fill the space between them and she held the tree tighter for protection. "**The real wolf has come now, and your time has run out.**"

The change came over Natsuki and her body twisted and contorted into it's terrible shape. Shizuru had seen the change before and was prepared for the gruesomeness of the sight. Her clothes ripped and shredded as her body expanded to it's full size. Takeda's eyes widened as Natsuki's beast form rose to it's full height towering over even he. His face flickered through emotions like a damaged lightbulb, from fear to anger before finally settling on excitement. He laughed aloud as the werewolf roared at him and he held his hands spread out in front of him. "Yes, Natsuki, let's be together now. Forever."

Shizuru noticed movement around the left side of the house and spotted Midori and Nao moving around. She reasoned that they had heard the commotion and come around to investigate. When they spotted the real werewolf facing the costumed Takeda their jaws both dropped. They lowered their guns and stared in horror at the monster they never imagined they would see.

Natsuki struck Takeda across the chest with her claws spreading his blood and leaving gashes across his body. His face turned from joy to panic as the pain set in and he realized that he was about to die. His love of Natsuki was suddenly overtaken by fear of her and he fell backwards, holding his hands up in surrender. "No, wait please. We can talk about this."

_The talking part is over._ Shizuru knew that she couldn't be reasoned with in this form. She was beyond compassion. The monster tore at Takeda, rending him with her sharp claws. He screamed, a scream that was cut short by her jaws around his throat. She bit down and his scream turned into choking sounds as she severed his windpipe and tore it from his body. Blood dripped from her claws and jaws as she planted her foot on his chest and roared into the night. His eyes went dead and the werewolf looked around her for it's next victim.

Shizuru stayed still in her hiding place beneath the boughs of a tree. Midori and Nao were still stunned standing near the edge of the house. The werewolf sniffed the air and caught her scent, turning around and finding Shizuru hiding beneath the tree. It took two steps towards her, Shizuru reached her hand out when she heard gunshots and the werewolf bucked forward and roared. Midori stepped out of the shadows of the house with her gun raised. "Get away from her, you beast."

The werewolf turned and growled low, falling into a crouching position to lunge at Midori. Shizuru saw the bullet wounds on her back closing up quickly, ejecting the bullets as they sealed until she couldn't tell they were ever there. She shouted to Midori, "Don't, it's Natsuki" but Midori couldn't hear her.

The beast lunged, crossing the distance between them in one smooth jump. She threw her right hand, claws glinting in the light from the back porch, but missed as Midori rolled right and got up shooting. She connected three times, once to the head and twice to the chest. The beast roared and fell back but the wounds healed as they watched.

Midori dodged another lunge and fell back from the werewolf towards Shizuru's position, her eyes fixed on her indestructible foe. She tripped over an exposed root and fell on her ass, gun still leveled. Nao stood frozen in fear and confusion, she couldn't understand what she was seeing. The beast walked forward, confident in it's next kill. Midori braced herself for the killing blow when Shizuru ran out from the tree and stepped between them. "Natsuki, it's okay."

"Shizuru." The beast again whispered her name. Their eyes locked and Shizuru saw something in them that she had longed to see, love. She stretched her arms out as if to embrace her, the same pose Takeda had before she had torn him apart. "I'm here for you."

"Get away, Shizuru. That's not Natsuki." Midori shouted at the woman in front of her. She had just seen the creature tear into Takeda and wasn't about to watch it do the same to Shizuru. She wondered what had gotten into the writer, how could she believe this beast was Natsuki?

The beast and Shizuru walked towards each other, their eyes never parting. They came within arms reach and Shizuru put her arms around it's chest, burying herself in it's white fur. "You did it, Natsuki. You can rest now."

At her touch the beast threw it's head back and the change reversed itself until Natsuki fell into Shizuru's arms naked and unconscious. Shizuru held her close, relishing the feel of the woman as she fell to her knees and laid her body across her lap.

Nao was still dumbfounded as she stood in the shadow of the house, gun at her side and quivering from the shaking of her hands. She wouldn't have believed that the beast that had ended Takeda could have been Natsuki but the truth was irrefutably in front of her. She had watched with her own eyes as the beast had changed into Natsuki. Her world was turned upside down and she had no idea what to think or how to react anymore. Midori had a similar feeling as she got up and merely looked at Shizuru holding the unconscious body of Natsuki in her lap. She looked over to Takeda lying dead on the ground with blood pooling around his head from his destroyed throat. She was glad to see him dead.

Shizuru looked up and noticed that Midori stood above her with her gun still in her hand. Midori's hand flexed on the grip and her finger tightened on the trigger. Shizuru imagined that Midori would shoot Natsuki after learning such a terrible secret about her, after learning that she could change into an unstoppable monster. At the very least she would arrest her and lock her forever away from Shizuru. She looked up at Midori with pleading eyes. "Please, don't take her away from me."

Midori's face was calm. "She's dangerous, Shizuru."  
"She's never hurt anyone, I swear." Shizuru was sure of it, Natsuki was dangerous but she had control over it. "She never hurt anyone except him," she motioned over to Takeda's dead body, "and she's not the only one who wanted to." Midori bit her lip, it had been her reason to come out to this god-forsaken cabin in the dead of night. She was only a little jealous that Natsuki had been the one to kill him, she had the intention of doing the job herself. "I love her, Detective, please."

It was these last words that truly spoke to Midori, while Natsuki was something that she couldn't understand love was something that she could. She loved and was fortunate enough to be loved back, Youko was her everything and she would have killed tonight to prove that. Now a woman sat holding a werewolf in her lap and saying she loved her, Midori was caught in a quandary. After a full two minutes of silence Midori holstered her weapon. "She's not the one on trial, here. We've got our killer." She looked back at Takeda's body and slowly exhaled. "What a mess."

Nao was starting to recover from her shock. She walked towards the women and kneeled down by Shizuru. "What a crazy night. I mean what the hell happened? We came here after Takeda, right? But now Natsuki is a werewolf?"

"Natsuki was always a werewolf." Shizuru explained. "Takeda, in being obsessed with Natsuki and having discovered her secret, decided that imitating her would be the closest way to get to her heart. He did it wrong though, Natsuki never hurt anybody."

Midori had walked over to Takeda's body and was examining it. She stood up from it a few minutes later with a smile on her face. "Alright, I think I've got it." She approached Shizuru and Nao who were looking at her quizzically. "Okay, here's the plan."

-WWW-

Two police cars followed by the Chief himself pulled up to the Masashi cabin and found Midori and Shizuru waiting there for them. Shizuru was wrapped in a towel she had found and looked like she had been crying. Midori looked like she had been in a fight, complete with a black eye and bruises along her arms and jawline and a few cuts from clawed hands. She stood shakily, as if she were tired, and Shizuru stayed seated with her hands shaking ever so slightly.

The chief got out of the car and walked behind the two other police officers who were providing escort. "I got your call, Sugiura. So you got the bastard?"

"He's dead, but Fujino Shizuru is alive." She motioned towards the sitting woman who didn't look up, still shaken from her experience. "The body is in the back."

Midori walked the Chief over while the two officers attended to Shizuru. The Chief winced when he saw the state of the body. "It looks like wild animals got to him. So, how did it go down?"

Midori began her story. "After learning about this place from a local contact I drove out here and drifted to the house to avoid being spotted. I got out of my car and approached, I could hear shouts from inside the house as I got near. According to Ms. Fujino she had found a pen and used it to stab him in the eye, giving her a chance to escape." The Chief looked down and noticed that, indeed, his eye was stabbed out. "I snuck around the house to the back where I saw Ms. Fujino run out of the backdoor with Takeda close behind. I drew my weapon and called out to him to stop. He didn't stop, instead turning on me and I noticed the werewolf costume that he wore, his calling card."

The Chief noticed the costume that Takeda had died wearing and nodded his head. "And the claw marks?"

"He rushed me and I only got off one shot before he was on me, he knocked the gun from my hand and got in a few good shots but I turned his claws on him and managed to get a good hit in. After that he saw that he wasn't going to win and dove for the gun. I got there first and shot him in the throat." The Chief looked to see that Takeda had indeed been shot in the throat, it must have been close range because the bullet utterly destroyed it. "After that I tended to Ms. Fujino and called you to confirm the situation."

"It would have been nice if you could have taken him alive," the Chief knelt near the body and examined the bullet wound in the neck, "but he resisted and you defended yourself. What can you do?" The Chief stood and held out his hand to Midori. "Good work, detective."

Midori shook that hand. "Thanks, Chief. Now about my vacation...?"

The Chief smirked. "Go enjoy yourself, Sugiura. I'll see you when you get back." Midori walked away, the Chief called after her. "Oh, and take Ms. Fujino home."

Midori nodded that she understood and went to retrieve the woman who was being questioned by one of the escorting officers. "After I stabbed him in the eye I ran looking for any way out of the cabin. It was terrible." Midori wondered how much of her shaking was an act and how much of it was her real reaction, that was one part of the story that had actually happened.

Shizuru looked up at Midori's approach. "I can take you home if you like, Ms. Fujino."

Shizuru stood and followed Midori out to her car which was still positioned in the shadow of nearby trees. Midori opened the back door for Shizuru and made sure she was comfortable before sitting in the driver's side and starting the car. Nao sat in the seat next to her and handed her a book, the copy of White Wolf Whispers that Shizuru had signed for Takeda. "Here. Why do you want this anyway? Isn't it evidence?"

"That's not your business, Yuuki." Midori took the book and set it in her glove box for safe keeping. She checked in the back seat and saw Natsuki laying across it with her head in Shizuru's lap wrapped in a sheet that Midori had found in the house. "Where to, Shizuru? Natsuki's place?"

"That's fine." Shizuru sounded like she didn't really care, Midori could drop her off at the moon and she would still be entirely focused on the woman in her lap. _Young love._

Midori pulled out of the stand of trees and started the long drive back to Fuuka. All in the car were silent on the way, Midori thinking about Youko lying in a hospital bed, Nao feeling vindicated after watching her grandmother's killer get torn apart and Shizuru utterly focused on Natsuki who was breathing evenly in her lap.

When the car finally pulled up to Natsuki's house, Midori helped Shizuru carry Natsuki into the house and deposit her on her bed. Midori headed for the door and Shizuru sat down on the bed next to Natsuki. "Detective Sugiura..." Midori turned back to her, "thank you very much."

"It's Midori, and don't mention it. Just keep her out of trouble." Midori left the house, closing the door behind her and walked out to her car where Nao was waiting. "And you? Where am I dropping you off?"

"At the bar. After tonight I need something strong, or maybe four." Midori drove to the bar and Nao got out of the car. "Why don't you join me, detective?"

"I would, but there's someone who needs me right now."

Nao understood. "Well then, I guess I'll see you around."

"Just stay on the right side of the law, Nao."

Nao walked away from the car and Midori drove to the hospital. She took the book out of the glove compartment and made her way to Youko's room. Nina turned her head when she opened the door. "You're back already?"

Midori crossed the room and kissed her on the forehead. "How is she?"

"She's sleeping right now." Midori ran her hand through Youko's hair and gave her a gentle kiss. "Did you get him, mom?"

Midori nodded. "Yes." Midori held the book out to Nina. "Here, I got you something." Nina took the book from her. "Open it."

Nina opened the book and on the inside cover noticed Shizuru's signature. Her eyes widened and she smiled profusely. "I love it. Thanks, mom."

"Don't mention it."

Midori sat down on a nearby couch and laid her head back, drifting almost immediately towards sleep. She hadn't realized how tired she was, the events of the night had left her drained. She felt a warmth settle next to her and put her arm around her daughter, less weird to think of her like that now, and sighed. "Where do you want to go on vacation?"

"Vacation?"

"Yes, vacation. Where do you want to go?"

Nina thought about it for a while. "America."

"Any particular place in America?"

Nina again thought about the question. "Texas."

"Why?" The question wasn't mocking, she was merely curious.

"Because I want to ride a horse."

Midori laughed aloud. "There are lots of places you can ride a horse, sweetie. Why Texas in particular?"

"Because I want to ride a horse in Texas."

Midori ruffled her daughter's hair. "Your mom will hate the heat, but I'm sure we can squeeze it in."

Nina smiled nestled in her step-mother's arm. Midori closed her eyes and fell asleep, the first dreamless sleep she had had since the werewolf case had opened.

-WWW-

Nao sat at the bar with a drink in her hand, she downed the remainder in one drink and Deacon gave her a worried look. She could never have imagined what Natsuki was and she was surprised to find that it didn't really matter to her. Natsuki was a werewolf but she was her friend first and foremost. Shizuru was starting to grow on her as well, not many women would stab a man who was wearing a werewolf costume in the eye with a pen.

Deacon set another drink in front of her and she nearly spit it out when she drank it. "Water? Really, Deacon? Give me another whiskey."

"I think you've had enough, Nao."

"Shows what you know. Give me another one."

Deacon, against his better wishes, poured her another whiskey and set it in front of her. She took a drink from the glass and set it down. "Did you get the guy you were after?"

"Yeah." Nao remembered the werewolf Natsuki ripping out Takeda's throat with startling clarity. She took another drink to banish the image and felt herself get dizzy. She had drank too much. "He got what he deserved, in the worst way."

"Want to talk about it?"

"No." Natsuki was her friend, and you kept your friend's secrets. "No, there's nothing to tell. He's dead and we're not. End of story."

She downed the last of her drink and nearly fell from the barstool. Deacon gave her a sympathetic look and extended his hand. "Give me your keys, Nao. You can sleep on the mattress in the back."

"No." Nao shook her head but only made herself more dizzy. "I'm good to drive."

"The hell you are." Deacon had sworn to his best friend, Nao's father, to look after her and most of the time that meant keeping her from driving drunk. "Give me your keys and go to bed."

Nao finally acquiesced and handed over the keys to her car. She found the 9mm in her pocket that Midori had given her and set it on the counter. She would have to return it tomorrow. Deacon's eyes widened when he saw the gun. "Why do you have that?"

"I forgot to give it back."

"That must have been some dirty business earlier."

"Yeah." Nao stumbled around the bar and made her way to the back room where Deacon always kept a bed for her. "Real dirty. Good night, Deacon."

"Good night, Nao."

He watched her go, happy to see her alive and well. He looked up to the ceiling. _You would be proud of her. She's strong, just like you._

-WWW-

Shizuru washed her face, making sure to clean off the blood that had dried there over the course of the evening. She touched at her nose and winced, still tender from having it broken then reset. She looked at herself in the mirror and wondered how it had come to this. _Takeda was insane but his actions were only motivated by love, as were mine. Are we the same, he and I? Will I become a monster too?_

She left the bathroom and lay down in the bed next to Natsuki. She had changed her into one of her nightgowns to make her more comfortable and had laid down beside her to make herself more comfortable. She watched the dark haired woman sleeping soundly next to her, a cadre of emotions running through her after the evening's events but the strongest of these was love. She loved Natsuki and she knew that now more than ever. She longed for the woman but knew she would have to wait, to see if those feelings were returned.

Natsuki stirred and her eyes opened, her breathing increased and she looked into Shizuru's eyes with a feral hunger that captivated her. "Shizuru." She breathlessly whispered her name as her hands traveled down the silk gown and over her writhing body. "Please." Shizuru was aroused watching Natsuki writhe while her hands explored her silken flesh, finally stopping between her legs. She heaved with her own caresses and arched her back in a way that drove Shizuru crazy. "I want you."

"I want you too, baby." Shizuru was losing control as the heat between her legs spread up into her belly. Her hands took on a life of their own as they reached out to her, running down her tight stomach before stopping at her waist. Natsuki's cries increased and she urged Shizuru on with her eyes but Shizuru resisted. _No, I can't do this. I won't do this._ She loved Natsuki and wanted nothing more than to be with her but this was something different. This wasn't Natsuki that was writhing before her, it was still the beast and she didn't want Natsuki to feel betrayed or violated. _I will be patient and wait for her. It's better this way._

Shizuru withdrew and merely watched as Natsuki reached an orgasm, her cries reached a fevered pitch as she arched her back and finally lay back panting onto the bed. Shizuru's body calmed and she caught her breath after nearly losing her mind. Natsuki's eyes closed again and she resumed her sleep as if nothing had happened. She rolled over onto her side and Shizuru spooned her, putting an arm around her and kissing her softly on the cheek. "Good night, Natsuki. I love you." The words spilled from her as if they were natural, an unconscious action akin to breathing. She didn't have to think about it, she felt it with every fiber of being, with every atom in her body, that she loved this woman and she prayed that Natsuki loved her back. She feared the consequences otherwise. _I could become Takeda._ The thought scared her, more than Natsuki's werewolf form, more than anything, the thought that her love could turn her into a monster.

Natsuki stirred in her arms and she heard a soft whisper. It was on the edge of her hearing, too soft to make out, but she thought she heard the words, "I love you, too". _Or maybe it's just wishful thinking._ Shizuru closed her eyes and hadn't realized just how close to sleep she was until it overcame her like a wave.

_The forest is dark and quiet, and she feels like she's been here before. She walks forward with sure steps knowing that someone is waiting for her further on, someone she loves. She passes through the trees and into a clearing, the moonlight shining down on a white, wolf-like creature that stands on two legs and looks at her with piercing green eyes as she approaches._

_The beast makes no move to resist or threaten. She walks up to it and reaches out her hand, feeling the soft white fur beneath her fingers. The beast lets out a purr and the light becomes suddenly blinding. When it recedes a beautiful woman is standing before her with silken alabaster skin, long flowing dark-hair and eyes as green as the grass. They embrace, their lips meet in the middle for a passionate kiss that takes her breath away. Then the bite, and the scream._

_-Author's Note-So, what does everyone think so far? I'd like to thank everyone who has read this far and as the first arc draws to a close I'm happy to say that this story is my most popular to date. Thanks to everyone for making that so. In the future of WWW I plan to reveal the significance of the dream and more about Saeko's trial, something that I've noticed a few people asking about. Also Miyu, Alyssa and Reito will join the cast as significant members. I hope you all continue to read White Wolf Whispers and thanks for reading.  
_


	12. Chapter 12

**Love Is A Dish For Two**

Natsuki woke up in her own bed and was thankful for that. The memories of the previous night's events came hazily back to her and she wondered just how she had gotten there. When she felt the arms wrapped comfortably around her she started to understand. _That must mean that Takeda is dead._ She ever so slightly mourned for the loss of the man, she remembered a time before he was corrupted, when he had been her friend. _No man can escape the pull of time or tide._

Natsuki rolled over so that she laid on her back with Shizuru's arms still wrapped around her, Shizuru's head rested comfortably on her shoulder. She put her arms around the woman and noticed that she was fully clothed, much different from the last time she had woken up with her. She herself was wearing one of her nightgowns and reasoned that Shizuru must have put it on her after bringing her home. Shizuru shifted and Natsuki was surprised by how comfortable everything was with Shizuru, she found herself not wanting to get up. She had to, however, and immediately missed Shizuru's warmth as she made her way to the bathroom. When she returned to the bed Shizuru was looking at her with her crimson eyes still sleep addled. "Natsuki?"

"Who else would it be?"

Natsuki lay down and Shizuru wrapped herself back around her. Natsuki didn't resist, she enjoyed the affection. "There is no one else." She wondered just what Shizuru meant by that phrase but didn't think too much about it. She had come to recognize Shizuru's growing affection for her as well as her own affection for the brunette. Love was in the air and Natsuki had caught it.

"What happened last night?"

Shizuru related the events of the previous night to Natsuki; her transformation in front of Midori and Nao, her brutal killing of Takeda, Midori's mercy in letting them go and her explanation of Takeda's death to her superiors. Natsuki's head was spinning after she heard all of what had transpired and resolved to thank Midori for keeping her secret. "Thanks for bringing me home."

Shizuru smiled up at her from her place against Natsuki's chest. "You don't have to thank me, Natsuki."

"Yes I do."

"Then why don't you thank me another way?" Shizuru moved closer to Natsuki until their faces were nearly touching. She brushed Natsuki's lips with her own, it wasn't a kiss but it was enough to get Natsuki's blood pumping. "I want..." Their eyes locked and Shizuru smirked. "breakfast."

Natsuki groaned and lay her head back on the pillow. "Breakfast? That's what you want?"

Shizuru shrugged. "I'm hungry."

"Fine, I'll make you something."

Natsuki reluctantly got up, leaving Shizuru alone on the bed, and made her way to the kitchen. She opened her refrigerator and looked over what she had. Eggs, milk, cheese, bacon, tomatoes and onions. _I could make an omelette_. She found a skillet and started cooking. While she cooked she heard Shizuru come out into the living room and sit down on the couch. She slid the finished omelette onto a plate and took it out to her. Shizuru was sitting on the couch with her computer in her lap frantically typing, completely oblivious to anything around her. Even when Natsuki sat down beside her, when she set the plate next to her, even when Natsuki said her name Shizuru didn't respond.

Natsuki was fascinated by her process, she found herself watching the brunette work without saying a word. Shizuru must have noticed how hungry she was because she looked over and saw the omelette, seeming almost shocked by it's existence. She turned her head to see Natsuki sitting beside her with a smile on her face. "Hi."

She could see Shizuru's eyes focusing on her and wondered just how far gone she had been. "You made this for me? Thank you." Shizuru must have noticed that there was only one plate. "You didn't make one for you?"

"I'm never hungry after I transform."

"I beg to differ." She knew that Natsuki was very hungry after she transformed but not necessarily for omelettes. "You sure had enough after the last time."

Shizuru returned to her work and ate slowly. "I thought you had writer's block?"

Shizuru didn't look away from the screen. "I got better. It's your fault."

Shizuru continued to type away at her computer while Natsuki watched. Natsuki gathered her nerve and asked, "Shizuru, do you want to go out tonight?" Shizuru didn't react immediately, her hands still typed frantically at the keyboard. "Did you hear me?"

"Yes."

Shizuru still didn't react, her hands still flying across the keyboard. Natsuki was a bit perturbed. "So, do you want to go out?" Shizuru shrugged, a gesture that annoyed Natsuki. "I was hoping for a bit more enthusiasm."

Shizuru reached back, without taking her eyes off the screen, and found Natsuki's hand. "I don't care what we do, as long as we do it together. It doesn't matter to me as long as you're with me."

Natsuki smiled and gripped Shizuru's hand harder. "Okay, why don't we go to the city. We can spend the day there, walk around and see what we can get into."

"That sounds fine to me, but don't you have to work today?"

"I'll go talk to Mai, after everything that happened last night she'll let me take the day off." She patted Shizuru's hand before letting it go, the hand immediately returned to it's place on the keyboard. "I'm going to take a shower and get changed. You should too, unless you're going to wear that out."

Shizuru shrugged and Natsuki pursed her lips and walked away to the shower with the knowledge that Shizuru was useless to talk to when she was writing. She turned the shower on and took a cold shower, the water refreshed her and cleansed her of what she had done. _I killed Takeda, I ripped him apart without remorse._ She felt like she was in more control of the beast, she had changed with the mindset of killing Takeda and the beast had followed that. _Perhaps if I have a clear goal in mind it transfers to the other form_.

She stepped out of the shower and put on her nicest pair of jeans and a matching top. As she walked passed the guest room she heard the shower running and assumed that Shizuru was in there. She sat down on the couch next to her laptop and waited. Minutes later the shower stopped and she heard the bathroom door open and close. "So, how do I look?"

Natsuki turned her head and gasped, Shizuru was wearing a slim fitting red dress that showed an ample amount of cleavage with a sexy slit down the side that showed off her long legs. Natsuki stammered before finally managing to say, "Looks good".

Natsuki looked down at herself and felt inadequate. Shizuru must have sensed it because she walked over and placed a consoling hand on Natsuki's shoulder. "You look good, too. Let's get going before it gets too late."

Natsuki grabbed her keys and walked with Shizuru out to her bike where Shizuru chuckled. "You're crazy if you think I'm riding that with this dress on." Natsuki pursed her lips, Shizuru handed her the keys to her car. "Here, you can drive I'm not up for it."

They got into the car and Natsuki started it up, surprised at the deep rumble of power from the engine. She put it into gear and pulled out into the road far faster than she intended nearly hitting a passing car. The screech of tires preceded Natsuki's wave of apology and the blush that crept it's way up her neck. "It's been a long time since I've driven a car, okay."

Shizuru rolled her eyes playfully. "This is going to be fun, I can tell."

Natsuki got the car moving forward again, quickly getting the feel for the sports car. She drove to Mai's diner to tell her about what had happened. She deftly pulled into a parking spot and shut the car off. "See, I'm getting used to it."

Natsuki got out of the car and walked into the diner, she could hear the clacking of Shizuru's heels on the pavement behind her. When she entered Mai was standing behind the counter, the redhead nearly gushed when she spotted Shizuru. "Ms. Fujino, you look incredible." Her eyes looked over Natsuki in her jeans and shirt. "And Natsuki, you look so boring." Natsuki's expression changed to annoyance. "You're supposed to dress up when you take a woman out."

"That's it, I'm going home to change."

Shizuru laughed out loud. "You don't have to Natsuki, I think you look great." She added under her breath, "For someone who works in a restaurant."

Natsuki, with her sharp hearing, heard the remark and turned on her. "No, I'm going to change and that's final." She turned back to Mai who had walked up to admire Shizuru's dress, Shizuru spun in place to model it for her. "Anyway, I came to ask you for the day off."

Mai looked up at her. "Why, got a hot date tonight?"

Natsuki's face became somber. "Takeda's dead, Mai."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Mai noticed the way her face changed, the subtle look of guilt and shame that flickered across it, and she came to understand that it was Natsuki who had done the deed. She reasoned that she must have pulled the trigger herself and felt for her. Her face became one of reassurance. "Go ahead, take all the time you need."

"Thanks."

Natsuki went to leave when Mai stopped her. "You did him a kindness, Natsuki, he was too far gone."

"I know."

The door chimes rang as Natsuki left the diner followed closely by Shizuru. Shizuru noticed the somber way Natsuki was carrying herself and wanted to console the woman. She found herself in the opportune position of being able to. She took Natsuki's hand and stopped her, Natsuki turned around and Shizuru caught her in a hug. "Don't beat yourself up over it. If it wasn't you it would have been Midori or Nao that killed him. It wasn't your fault."

"I know." Natsuki held onto Shizuru and buried her head in the crook of her shoulder, easier since the heels she wore made Shizuru as tall as her. "It hurts, but you're alive and that's what matters."

They embraced in the parking lot for long minutes before Natsuki finally lifted her head. "Let's head back."

Shizuru smiled and rolled her eyes. "You don't have to change, Natsuki."

"Yes, I do."

Natsuki drove quickly back to her house and swept through the door, leaving Shizuru in the living room in suspense. When she returned to the living room she was wearing an elegant green dress that almost drug the floor as she walked, her hair was tied in a bun behind her and she wore lipstick in a light shade of red. Shizuru wanted to kiss those lips but wanted Natsuki to make the first move. "Do you feel better now?"

"Yes."

Natsuki could see the desire in Shizuru's eyes, the way they wandered down her body made her shiver, the way she licked her lips before she spoke made her temperature rise. Shizuru wanted her and Natsuki wanted her to. Shizuru took her arm in a familiar and comfortable way. She leaned over and nearly brushed her lips against Natsuki's ear. "You look beautiful."

Natsuki smiled a nervous smile feeling like an awkward teenager on a date with a woman she'd lusted after for years. She felt nervous and excited at the same time. "Thanks, you too."

They walked out to the car together and Natsuki deftly pulled it out of the driveway, finally feeling like she and the car had come to an understanding of each other. Her hand rested on the center console and she felt a warmth as Shizuru set her hand on top of hers. "There's one place I want to stop at before we leave. It won't take long."

Natsuki pulled into the hospital parking lot and shut off the car. She and Shizuru walked into the building and found Youko's room. Natsuki knocked before she entered and Youko's eyes moved to her slowly from her sitting position on the bed, Nina was asleep on the couch in the room. Youko smiled when Natsuki approached the bed. "Hey, Natsuki."

"How are you feeling?"  
Youko gave a pained look as she shifted so that she could talk with Natsuki more comfortably. "I've been better, but the doctor says I'll make a full recovery. He didn't hit anything vital." Youko noticed Shizuru standing behind her and waved her over. "Ms. Fujino, you look amazing." She noticed that Natsuki was also dressed up and put the pieces together. "Are you two on a date?"

Natsuki looked up at Shizuru when she responded. "I don't know, what do you think?"

Shizuru wrapped her arms around Natsuki's shoulders and rested her weight upon her. "That it's about damned time."

Youko smiled for the two of them, truly happy that they had found something good in each other. She enjoyed seeing people happy since she was lucky enough to have found Midori all those years ago and they had made something special. She especially enjoyed seeing Natsuki, whom she had seen at her darkest, find someone to make her happy. "I'm happy for you both."

Just then the door opened and Midori walked in carrying several bags of food for herself, Youko and Nina. She stopped when she noticed Natsuki and Shizuru standing near the bed. She approached Shizuru first and shook her hand. "Shizuru, you look gorgeous."

"Thanks, Midori."

Midori then turned to Natsuki and she could see the hesitation on her face. She had seen the monster and was frightened of it, of her. "Natsuki, about last night. Shizuru assures me that you have it under control."

"Yes."

"Then I won't mention it to anyone, but if attacks like these start coming up again you're the first person I'm looking for. Understand?"

"Clearly."

Natsuki held out her hand and Midori shook it, an understanding passed between them and for the first time they learned something about each other. "Maybe you're not as bad as I thought. Or maybe what Youko keeps saying is starting to sink in. What I'm trying to say is, you're alright with me. Just keep out of trouble."

Natsuki smirked. "I have someone to help with that."

Midori noticed that both Shizuru and Natsuki were dressed up. "Now that I think about it, you two make a great couple. Plus it'll be nice having another couple that we can hang out with, right honey?"

"Yeah, most other couples in the town either don't recognize us as a couple because of our orientation or outright hate us." Youko didn't seem put off at all by it, she had most likely come to terms with it over the many years she and Midori had been outcasts. "Now we have another couple to hang out with. It'll be great."

"That sounds nice." Natsuki had never been one for relationships, preferring her women one night at a time, but she was starting to look forward to settling down. It had to be easier, no more late night barhopping, no more lame pickup lines, no more striking out, just the comfortable feeling of companionship and familiarity. If she had to do it with anyone she had ever met she would pick Shizuru, everything was just so comfortable between them. "We had better go, don't want to get there too late."

"Where are you guys going?"

Natsuki's first reaction to Midori's question was anger. _What does it matter to you?_ She realized, however, that it was an innocent question and if she lost her temper it would only anger the redhead who had finally come to respect her. She calmed herself and replied, "I thought it would be nice to go to the city, see the sights, eat at a nice restaurant, maybe take a midnight stroll downtown."

"You be careful with that, it's not like a small town. Cities are dangerous, though I guess you don't have to worry too much about that. Just be careful, okay."

"We'll be fine, Midori. Thanks."

Natsuki left the room and Shizuru stayed long enough to say, "Keep in touch", before following Natsuki out to the car. Natsuki started it and got on their way to the city. Natsuki had her hand on the center console as she drove and again Shizuru put hers over it. _That hand must belong to her now._ "I'm glad you get along with Midori, now. It would be lonely to have no other couples to hang out with.

"Yeah." Natsuki had been intending to ask Shizuru to be her girlfriend at dinner but since everyone already treated them like a couple she wondered if she should even bother. If she shouldn't just stand by and watch them become girlfriends by proxy. _No, I'm not going to let us congeal together like some kind of gelatin. I'm going to ask her and she's going to say yes then we'll be happy together._

The long car ride was punctuated by comfortable silence and the radio which Natsuki saw fit to turn on. Natsuki was in her head most of the time, trying to find the right words to say to Shizuru when the time came. Shizuru had her tablet out and was typing on it, continuing the work she had started earlier that day. Natsuki placed a call to a restaurant downtown and made an appointment for them for the evening.

When they got to the city Natsuki turned the music down. "So, what do you want to do?"

"Whatever you want, baby."

"I want to go to a theater. I haven't seen a movie in years." Natsuki missed the familiar way Shizuru addressed her, her mind was clear and focused. It was going to be perfect.

She didn't remember the movie they watched, something that was supposed to be a romance that Shizuru had picked out but had ended up leaving them bored. After they left the theater disappointed Natsuki drove them around the city but there wasn't much to see. Shizuru had found an art gallery that interested her and Natsuki spent an hour following her around looking at pictures of dogs in funny hats and canvases that looked like someone had an accident while painting their house.

After that they had to head for the restaurant to make it in time for their reservation. Shizuru took Natsuki's arm as they walked from the car and through the front door. Natsuki could feel all eyes turn towards them and Shizuru pressed closed to her, Natsuki held her tightly and whispered in her ear, "You look beautiful." This calmed Shizuru who laid her head on Natsuki's shoulder with a sigh as they made their way to the maitre d's stand. "Reservations for two under Kuga, please."

"One moment." The well-dressed and groomed man typed into the computer in front of him and what he saw left him with a sour look on his face. "I'm sorry, we have nothing for Kuga."

"What? But I called earlier and the lady said there'd be a table for us."

"We had a computer malfunction earlier and we believe some of our reservations were lost. We've been trying to seat whomever we can but our tables are full and there is quite a long line. The best estimate I can provide you is with an hour wait time." Her anger was apparent on Natsuki's face who was started to get upset with how this date was going. "I am deeply sorry, Miss."

Natsuki shrugged and said, in a voice that sounded aggravated, "What can you do?" She turned and walked away, Shizuru following close behind her. When she got out the door Natsuki let out a bellow. "Fuck."

Shizuru walked up behind and put her arms around her, pressing against her back. "It's okay, Natsuki. We'll find somewhere else to eat, it's not a big deal."

"I just..." Natsuki bit her lip nervously, "I just wanted this to be special. Now it's ruined."

"It's special because I'm here with you." Natsuki relaxed in Shizuru's arms, the writer always knew just what to say. Shizuru let her to and walked ahead of her, holding out her hand for Natsuki to take. "Come on, take me for a walk."

Natsuki took Shizuru's hand and they walked around the city. They found a bluff to stand on and watch as the sun fell below the horizon in a shower of colors, reds, oranges and yellows. Natsuki held Shizuru close as she watched it, somehow having her there made the colors all the brighter, the scene all the more beautiful. Afterwards they walked hand-in-hand down the street before stopping at a small restaurant situated on the corner of two busy streets and shared a simple, inelegant meal together.

After that they left the store and Shizuru noticed that Natsuki's mood had picked up some but she was still a little down about her planned evening. Shizuru spotted a horse-drawn carriage moving slowly down the street and flagged the driver down. "Excuse me, how much for a ride?"

The man looked down at her from the seat with appraising eyes, no doubt appreciating the beauty of the two potential passengers. "For you, Miss, I'd say ten."

Shizuru handed him the bill and Natsuki followed her into the cab, wondering what was going through her mind. They sat down on the bench and the man cracked the reins, the carriage took off with a slight lurch and took the corner onto the next street. Shizuru leaned against Natsuki and rested her head on her shoulders. Natsuki put an arm around her shoulders and held her close. She gave her a light kiss on the forehead as they watched the passing scenery, the city lit up by the bright lights of the nightlife. "This was a good idea."

Shizuru smiled and looked up at Natsuki, their eyes met and a spark traveled between them that wouldn't let them go. "This would be really romantic if we were dating. But since we're not..."

"Shut up." Natsuki took Shizuru's chin and turned her face up, capturing her lips in a deep kiss that didn't lack for passion and left both women wanting more. Their tongues wrestled for dominion but it was Natsuki who would emerge victorious, taking the other woman in her arms and kissing her until her breath gave out.

They parted for air, both of their bodies burning with desire. Shizuru planted butterfly kisses along Natsuki's jawline and down to her neck, feeling her pulse on her tongue as Natsuki's breathing became labored. "We're going to get in trouble. I don't think the man would like us making out in his carriage."

The driver shrugged and Shizuru chuckled. "See, he doesn't care. She continued her assault on Natsuki's neck until Natsuki pulled her away to kiss her thoughts away again.

"I love you, Shizuru."

The words struck Shizuru in her heart, melting it and leaving her with a large smile on her face. "I love you too, Natsuki." They sat together on that carriage until it came to a stop back where they had started and they made their way back to the car. "Can we get a hotel room, Natsuki?"

"Why?"

Shizuru ran her hand seductively up Natsuki's thigh and felt the shiver the touch left in it's wake. "Because I don't think I can wait to get home."

Natsuki was breathless at how much she wanted Shizuru in that moment, the feelings that she wanted to hide away to protect Shizuru now bubbled to the surface and nothing else mattered to her but the two of them and the night of passion that awaited them. She quickly agreed and they found a hotel nearby that would suit their needs. They burst through the door, already unable to contain themselves, and it was quickly closed while lips pressed against each other and hands worked to remove clothing. Natsuki unzipped Shizuru's dress and slowly slid it down her body, following it with her tongue all the way down. After undoing her own dress Natsuki picked Shizuru up and carried her to the bed.

An hour later and Shizuru lay in Natsuki's arms, a thin sheet covering their naked bodies that fell together like puzzle pieces, like they had been designed for each other. Shizuru rested her head on Natsuki's chest and had her eyes closed savoring each moment of their passionate lovemaking. She smirked. "Do you think you'll remember this time?"

Natsuki kissed her on the forehead. "I don't think I'll ever forget." She laid her head back on the pillow and closed her eyes, trying to remember a time in her life when she was this happy, this content. It brought her back to a time when her father was still alive and when her mother would sit and talk with her for hours on end. She loved those times, her mother would tell her stories, some of them she knew and others were of her own design, and Natsuki loved to hear them. She had never been so happy as she was then until she lay in Shizuru's arms.

"How about we make this official?" Shizuru looked up at Natsuki who had a grin plastered across her face. "Would you like to be my girlfriend?"

Shizuru rested her chin on Natsuki's chest and fitted her with an equally large grin. "The way everyone talks I thought we already were." She lay her head back down. "Of course I'll be your girlfriend."

In her heart Natsuki rejoiced, having found something stable in her life that had been so chaotic. To find someone to love and hold even on the darkest night was something she could never have imagined finding until the brunette author of her dreams walked into the diner and into her heart. As they lay there and sleep came came for them they knew that the days ahead would only grow brighter.

But news of a werewolf had traveled further than Fuuka, and there were some ears that were far more interested in it than others.

-WWW-

Miyu Grear sat at the bedside of her nine year old daughter Alyssa who was sleeping peacefully, her pale body ravaged by a cancer that slowly ate her away. As she sat quietly watching Alyssa sleep a tall, dark haired man walked through the door and Miyu cringed knowing that whenever Kanzaki Reito showed up it was with a job. "Miyu, good to see you. And how is Alyssa doing today?"

"It seems like she's getting better, though the treatments she's been receiving don't seem to have much effect." Alyssa had been at Rayburn Hospital owned by the Kanzaki group, a group of pharmaceutical companies founded by Reito's father, getting regular treatments for her daughter Alyssa. As payment for these treatments she did odd jobs for Reito, her history as a private investigator left her with a skill set that was useful to someone like Reito. "Since you're here I'll assume you have a job for me."

"As sharp as ever, I see." Reito motioned outside. "Can I have a word with you?" Miyu nodded and followed Reito out the door and into the hallway. He led her down to an empty conference room and shut the door. "There's a specimen I need you to obtain. It's in the town of Fuuka to the south of here. The target is already dead."

Miyu had been sent on these missions before and she hated them. She wondered if this one had any connection to the others but she could never link them together. Whatever Reito was looking for he hadn't found it yet. "Do I need to bring the body back?"

Reito pulled out a syringe and handed it to Miyu. "No, I just need a sample. You'll find the body in the local morgue. Getting in there might be a challenge but I trust you're up for it."

"Do I know who I'm looking for?"

"You might have heard of him." Reito turned on his phone and showed it to Miyu. "He was the Werewolf Killer of Fuuka, Masashi Takeda."

_-Author's Note-  
I've tried to make this story as original a werewolf story as I could, I know that there are a lot of them out there but I'm hoping that White Wolf Whispers can prove to be something different. In answer to the question of, "Who is your favorite Mai Hime/Otome character", I would have to say Natsuki Kruger. She's a calm, capable leader, a strong principal and when all else fails nothing beats a big ass gun. Fujino Shizuru would have to rank a close second, I imagined a scenario where Natsuki realized her love for Shizuru earlier on and together were able to defeat Reito and Mikoto and take control of the HiME star with Shizuru taking the role of Obsidian Prince and Natsuki the role of Crystal Princess. Again, thank you for reading and stay tuned._


	13. Chapter 13

**No Doctors**

Miyu Grear sat next to her daughter's bed, the place she had sat for the last two weeks. Her daughter, Alyssa Searrs, had at a young age been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, a condition that she had been getting treatments for all her life. For now she was under the care of the Kanzaki Group and the son of it's founder Kanzaki Reito.

Reito had approached Miyu about her daughter while she was in America receiving care. Reito was interested in her background, before quitting her job to raise a family Miyu had been a successful private detective, and offered to take care of Alyssa in return for certain services. Services that confounded the former private eye. Reito had had Alyssa transferred to one of the hospitals owned by the Kanzaki Group and had started Miyu on one of the wild goose chases she had become familiar with.

Her first job took her to New York City to investigate rumors of a coven of vampires that was rumored to exist in an old abandoned warehouse building. What she had turned up was a new hipster nightclub devoted to gothic themes and S&M. When she had reported this back to Reito he had merely shrugged and laughed it off. "Some things are too good to be true."

Her next job took her to India, where she was to search for a man who claimed her could survive having electrical current passed through his body. It proved to be a sham and when she returned Reito merely shrugged. "We'll get them next time."

She wondered just what the wealthy man wanted with such strange specimens. She had been on no less than ten jobs for the man, all of which as strange as the rest and all of which proved to be false information or stretches of the truth. She had asked him once, what he wanted with a blood sample of a man who claimed he could withstand extreme heat and he merely waved her off.

The door opened and in walked Kanzaki Reito and Miyu knew exactly why he was there. "Miyu, good to see you. And how is Alyssa doing today?"

"It seems like she's getting better, though the treatments she's been receiving don't seem to have much effect." Miyu had watched Alyssa only grow more and more pale and listless and her heart was breaking but she held strong, she had never lost faith that Alyssa would recover. During the darker times that faith was all that kept her going, without it she would have succumbed to the despair that waited for her outside her heart. She refused, however, and held fast for her daughter. "Since you're here I'll assume you have a job for me."

"As sharp as ever, I see." Reito had a way of acting and speaking that most found unnerving but Miyu found annoying. Something about the tone of voice Reito used when speaking made you seem inferior and the way his eyes seemed to bore through you made you feel violated. "Can I have a word with you?"

_No, because I'm not leaving her side._ She had a hard time saying no to her benefactor, however, so she followed Reito out the door and down the bleached white hallways to an empty conference room where he shut the door behind them for privacy. "There's a specimen I need you to obtain. It's in the town of Fuuka to the south of here. The target is already dead."

"Do I need to bring the body back?" Most of the time Reito only asked for a sample of the target's blood but occasionally her work required more mortal means.

When Reito pulled out a syringe and handed it to her she breathed a sign of relief. "No, I just need a sample. You'll find the body in the local morgue. Getting in there might be a challenge but I trust you're up for it."

He knew her history, which was one reason he had sought her out, and he knew that she had a penchant for getting into places she wasn't supposed to be. "Do I know who I'm looking for?"

"You might have heard of him." He handed her his phone and she looked to see an article about a killer who had been killed in the small town of Fuuka. "He was the Werewolf Killer of Fuuka, Masashi Takeda."

Miyu struggled against the urge to roll her eyes at the dark haired man, he should have learned by then that his fruitless ambitions were a waste of both hers and his time. The man seemed adamant, however, and the care Alyssa was receiving was costly to say the least. She was bound to assist him in all of his endeavors, no matter how foolish. "Another of your wild goose chases?"

A smile crossed Reito's face, a smile that made her want to punch him. She truly disliked the man. "I have a good feeling about this one. You should hurry, we don't want him spoiling before you get there."

Reito left the conference room and Miyu followed close behind, heading back to Alyssa's room to find the girl sitting up and looking at her with blue, sleep-filled eyes. She must have just woken up. "Mom, where did you go?"

"I just had to talk with Mr. Kanzaki. Do you remember him?"

Alyssa nodded. "Yes, he's funny."

_He's hilairous,_ she thought ironically considering her dislike of him. "He asked me to help him out with something so I'm going to have to leave for a few days."

Alyssa reached out and took Miyu's hand. "I understand, mom. Just be careful."

"I always am." Miyu grew pensive, wondering at the price she was paying for her daughter's health. She swore she would do anything for Alyssa and if that meant hunting down myths for a rich man with too much time on his hands then she would do that, after all he could be asking for much worse. Alyssa lay back down on the bed and Miyu sat beside her as the time ticked by before Miyu had to leave for Fuuka. Miyu found a brush on the nightstand and sat beside Alyssa on the bed, brushing her rapidly thinning hair out and earning a smile from the girl. "You seem happy today. Do you feel well?"

"Yes."

Alyssa certainly looked better to Miyu's now trained eyes. Where normally she was very pale her skin had a healthier glow to it, her eyes which were normally listless were now active and shone with an inner light, her hair which was normally thin seemed to be growing thicker and fuller with a more golden glow than she had seen in years. Alyssa also seemed to have more energy and appetite as a nurse walked in with a meal and Alyssa tore into it with fervor. Miyu smiled to see her daughter so healthy, it was a sight she hadn't seen in years. She knew the worst was far from over and that this upswing would most likely be followed by a heartbreaking downswing but she was happy in the moment.

"What did Mr. Kanzaki ask for this time?"

Miyu had shared some of the more interesting stories of her jobs for Reito, they made for excellent bedside stories to tell the girl. "I don't know if you've caught any of the news lately," Miyu usually watched the news in Alyssa's room and she found that the girl often knew more than she met on, "but there was a rumor that a werewolf was killing people in a small town called Fuuka."

Alyssa nodded her head, she must have known about the werewolf killer. "And Mr. Kanzaki wants you to find him? Didn't they catch him, though?"

_She's sharp._ Miyu noticed that her daughter had an almost uncanny ability to piece out what was happening in any given situation. Often Miyu found herself explaining things to her daughter to see what she came up with. The answers were usually correct, an unusual gift in such a young girl. She was observant, calculating and very intelligent. "They did. He's lying in a morgue and Mr. Kanzaki wants a sample of his blood."

Alyssa scrunched her brow like she was thinking, a trait that always brought a smile to Miyu's face. "Werewolves are interesting creatures, half-man and half-wolf they are rumored to have remarkable regenerative powers. Could that be what Mr. Kanzaki is trying to study? Or is he trying to create more of them, like an army?" Alyssa shivered and Miyu covered her with her blankets. "I can't imagine an army of werewolves."

Miyu kissed her daughter on the forehead. "I'm sure Mr. Kanzaki isn't trying to breed an army of werewolves. I do wonder what his agenda is though. The strange things that I've tracked down for him over the years, none of it adds up."

Alyssa shrugged and returned to eating from the tray in front of her. Miyu wondered what she was thinking, asking Alyssa about things that she had to do. The reason why Reito wanted the specimens didn't matter, he paid for Alyssa's treatments and so she would do whatever she had to do to pay him back. If that meant driving out to distant Fuuka and bringing Reito back a sample of a killer's blood then that's what she would do.

She tousled Alyssa's hair as she got up from the seat. "Well, kiddo, I need to head out."

Alyssa looked up at her mother, a sadness in her eyes that Miyu would never grow accustomed to. "Bye, mom. I'll see you when you get back. I love you."

"I love you, too." Miyu left that hospital with a heavy heart but a focused mind, she knew her job and knew that she would get it done.

-WWW-

Reito was sitting in the back of his company car thinking about his next move when his phone rang and he answered it immediately. "Mr. Kanzaki, this is Mr. Morooka, I've just been elected to the state department and I was told to contact you."

Reito smiled, he always enjoyed these conversations. Someone new would rise to, what they thought was, a prominent position only to find that there was always someone above them on the ladder, even one such as he answered to another. "And what can I do for you, Mr. Morooka?;

"You can explain to me exactly why I needed to contact you. I am a busy man."

The man was still struggling, using the tools of his trade to try to stay ahead of Reito but Reito was already miles ahead of him and had no intention of stopping. "You needed to contact me because I'm the man who dictates what you do and when you do it." Silence came through the phone, the silence of a man who was starting to understand. "My company has given a lot of money to put you in that seat, Mr. Morooka, and we demand our money's worth. There are certain...activities that my company is involved in. Should any of these activities come to light they would be very disastrous. Our work is important Mr. Morooka and government oversight only limits us. That is where you come in. You keep the wolves off our back and we'll keep you in a nice, cushy job. Do you understand?"

"Yes...yes, sir."

Fear poured through the phone's speaker and Reito smiled all the wider, he was a man who enjoyed his job and did it very well. "Good. I will be by later this week to see how you are settling in. Until then, farewell."

Reito hung up the phone as the car stopped in front of a tall office building, it's glass sides showing a remarkable image of the city around them. Reito climbed the steps to the entrance hall and made his way to a private elevator specifically for Kanzaki Group Board Members. He rode the elevator up the long, twenty story climb to the penthouse of the massive building and a large round table around which nine other men and women sat, the board of directors for the Kanzaki Group. "Mr Kanzaki, thanks for joining us." The executive director, Yukino Chrysant, pushed the glasses up on her face as Reito sat down in the seat next to her. "You have a way of being fashionably late."

Yukino said it without so much as a smile on her face, she was a very serious woman in the board room and it irked Reito that she had gained majority control of the company after his father's death. She was doing a good job of running it so far, however, so his efforts to weaken her position weren't effective. He had pinned all of his hopes on his secret project to come to fruition, but it had yet to be successful and Reito was starting to worry. _I'm close, so close._ "Some of us have social lives, Ms. Chrysant. You might know that if you spent any time outside this boardroom."

"Clever," Yukino smiled at Reito's juvenile attempts to cut her down, "but you are still urged to be prompt. The board is not some streetwalker who will stop for your money." She earned a scowl from the man and her stomach turned. She had tried to be reasonable with Reito in the beginning but she was growing tired of his subtle manipulations and undercutting methods. Now she found herself playing his game and she hated herself for it. "Now, on to new business."

-WWW-

Miyu drove through the night and arrived at the town of Fuuka just as the sun was rising. She was greeted by a great view of the sun cresting the hills behind the town as she passed though it and towards her destination, the police station morgue. She parked her car away from the place, behind a diner that she had passed on the way in, and walked the rest of the way to the station. It was early in the morning and in such a small town she found the streets and the building practically deserted.

Her plan was simple, she was going to walk right through the front door. She didn't have any credentials but she only needed seconds in the morgue so she had worked out a comfortable persona to play while she was in there. Before she had set out she had applied make up and a wig to make herself look far older with deep wrinkles on her face and graying hair, she walked slowly and with a slight stoop and limp as if it were somewhat painful to her, even her eyes helped to sell the illusion. She had developed a talent for acting in her days and hoped that it would be enough to see her through this situation. The illusion was so strong that several of the local boys, good hearted young men, had offered to help her across the street. She kindly waved them off and continued without giving away her cover.

She opened the door slowly and approached the front desk, a bored looking young woman sat behind it who sat up at her approach. "Can I help you, ma'am?"

"Yes," her voice was cracked and throaty from a lonzenge that she had eaten earlier, "I'm looking for my son. I haven't seen him in several days and I'm terrible worried about him. His name is Masashi Takeda."

"Masashi Takeda?" As she thought the name caught the woman's attention. "Are you his mother?"

"Yes. I've been calling and calling but he hasn't answered or called back. I'm desperately worried about him."

Her eyes widened, she didn't want to tell this old woman about her son's death and she had no idea what to do. "Will you excuse me for one second, I need to ask my boss a question."

"Not a problem, Miss." _Perfect._ As soon as her back was turned Miyu was over the counter and sneaking through the empty cubicles towards the morgue door. She encountered no resistance as she slowly slid it open and carefully stepped through the door. The temperature dropped as she neared the other end of the stairwell which angled down. _It's in a basement? So I'm screwed if they catch on to me._

She continued and stepped into the cold of the morgue. She walked along the rows of drawers and checked the tags until she found the one that read Masashi, Takeda and pulled it out. She drew the syringe from her pocket and stuck it quickly in the man's arm, drawing enough blood to fill it then putting it back, sliding the drawer back and making her way quickly back to the front.

Miyu opened the door a crack and looked around it. The coast was clear so she stepped slowly out from the door just as she heard footsteps from ahead of her. "What are you doing, Miss?"

Miyu looked towards the front door then back at the woman, then took off running making straight for the exit. "Hey." The woman shouted but Miyu leapt across the counter and threw herself against the door, knocking down another officer who must have been showing up for his shift by the looks of the coffee that flew from his hands. She stepped over him and bolted out into the street.

She heard the door fly open and the woman who had been at the front counter shout for the other man to give chase but Miyu was fast and as soon as she turned a corner she ripped off the wig and tore at the makeup until it peeled from her face. She stuffed them in her pockets and slowed her pace, hoping to blend in with a crowd of early morning toursits and people opening their stores. It failed, the woman at the counter easily recognized the clothes she wore and Miyu took off again, with the two officers in chase.

She weaved through the Main Street, trying her best to lose her pursuers. She took a quick corner and turned into what looked like a pizzeria and kept running through into the kitchen. She ran passed a blonde haired American who shouted at her to leave, her intention to begin with, so she ran to the back door and peeked out before she crept down the alleyway towards the diner and her car.

She walked slowly but saw no signs of the police officers the whole way back to her car. She hopped in and started the car up, pulling out of the parking space quickly and flinching when she heard a bump and saw someone fall against her trunk and slide away.

She stopped the car and stepped quickly out of the car. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you there. Are you okay?"

The dark haired woman that she had hit stood up and brushed herself off, her clothing somewhat torn but no blood to be seen. "Watch where you're fucking going lady."

The woman checked herself over for injuries and Miyu noticed that she had none. Not one scratch on her and she knew she had been going almost twenty when she hit her. She should have had at least some scrapes and burns from the asphalt but she didn't even have those. "You don't have a scratch on you."

The woman shot her a mean look. "You should be thankful, if I did I would have kicked your ass." The woman stuffed her hands in her pockets and kept walking, most likely to her job at the diner and Miyu hopped back into her car. She drove off wondering about the strange woman in the parking lot and her hasty exit from the morgue. She took the syringe out of her pocket, opened her glove box and tossed it in to stay cold during the ride, she had modified the glove box with refrigeration to transport Reito's samples easier, and settled in for the long ride back to the city.

When she got back into the city after the two day ride back her first stop was to see Alyssa. She opened the door and saw that her daughter was asleep, she crept across the floor and watched her while she slept. _She looks like an angel._

Reito poked his head through the door and motioned with his eyes for her to follow him. She followed him back to the conference room and he shut the door behind them. "Do you have it?" She took the syringe out of her pocket and handed it to him. He was nearly giddy as he took the syringe from her and put it in his own pocket. "Excellent. Did you notice anything strange about the body?"

Miyu shrugged. "I didn't get the chance to look much, I had to get out quickly." She thought about the woman she had hit with her car. "But there was this woman, I hit her with my car and..."

Reito waved her off. "I don't give a damn about some woman. Let's just hope this turns up positive."

"Positive for what?"

The words just slipped from Miyu's mouth, she didn't mean to say it and certainly didn't expect the answer. "Mutation."

-WWW-

Natsuki, after being hit by Miyu's car in the parking lot on her way to open the store, stomped angrily into the diner alerting Mai to her presence. Mai stood at the back table folding napkins when she did a double take, Natsuki's clothes were torn in several places. "What happened to you?"

"Some woman just backed into me. She's lucky I didn't get hurt."

"You're lucky you didn't get hurt." Mai looked over Natsuki who seemed paler than usual. "Are you okay? You're paler than usual." She approached and put her hand on Natsuki's forehead to check for fever. Natsuki shook her hand away. "If you're getting sick you should go home."

"I'm fine, Mai. It's nothing." Natsuki had felt a bit out of sorts that morning but she didn't want to tell Mai that. Mai would not doubt call Shizuru and Natsuki imagined how the woman would react to her being sick. "I can still work."

Mai shrugged. "Alright, fine, but if you get worse I'm calling Shizuru to pick you up. I don't think you should be riding that motorcycle while you're sick."

"I'm not sick, Mai." Natsuki was getting annoyed at Mai's constant questioning. Considering her unique physiology she wasn't even sure she could get sick. "There's no need to call Shizuru."

Mai smirked. "Okay, I wouldn't want to worry your girlfriend."

Natsuki worked out her shift and was getting ready to go when she found herself coughing profusely. She ran to the bathroom and coughed into the sink, completely surprised when she found blood in it. She wiped her mouth and exhaled. She looked at herself in the mirror, she was definitely feeling unwell, of that she was sure. What she didn't know was what it meant. One thing she did know, a doctor would expose her for what she was. She remembered a day when she was younger, when her father had angrily protested at her mother. "No doctors" is what he had said, now she understood why.

When she came out of the bathroom Mai was waiting for her. "Feeling better? Should I call your girlfriend to pick you up."

"I'm fine, woman. Will you leave me alone?"

Natsuki pushed passed Mai to clock out then made her way out to her motorcycle. On the way home she found herself drifting and just managed to get it home before she started coughing again. When she stepped into her house she quickly made her way to the bathroom running passed Shizuru who was sitting on the couch with her laptop. She found more blood in the sink and wondered what could be wrong.

She poured herself a glass of water from the kitchen sink and sat down next to Shizuru who, true to form, barely noticed that she was there. When she did notice it was a double take. "Are you feeling okay? You seem paler than usual."

"I'm fine, Shizuru. It's nothing."

She drank from her glass and was surprised to find a pain in her chest. She must have winced because Shizuru closed her laptop and turned her full attention to her. "Where does it hurt?"  
Shizuru started feeling Natsuki over, her forehead, her chest and her throat. Natsuki pushed her away, "I'm fine, I told you that."

Natsuki started coughing again and Shizuru put her arm around her. "You should take something. Do you have any cough medicine or something like that?"

"I'm just going to lie down for a while." Natsuki stood shakily to her feet and Shizuru walked with her to her bedroom where she fell into her bed and lay on her back. Shizuru sat down on the bed beside her and silently worried. Considering Natsuki's condition she wondered just what kind of illness could affect her and if it was something serious. _Can a werewolf catch a cold? Or is this something much worse?_ Shizuru considered calling a doctor but, as if she could read her mind, Natsuki reached over and grabbed her wrist. "No doctors." Of course, a doctor would notice her condition right away, then her secret would be out. Shizuru leaned over and gave her girlfriend a gentle kiss on the forehead. "Then I'll just have to take care of you."

Shizuru grabbed her car keys and made sure Natsuki was asleep before heading off to the grocery store to look for cough medicine and other necessities. She found them easily enough and drove back home where she found Natsuki still sleeping where she had left her. Shizuru felt her forehead and found it to be hot to the touch, no doubt a strong fever. She gently woke Natsuki up and poured out a cap of cough medicine for her. "Drink this, babe, you'll feel a lot better." Natsuki did as she was asked then fell immediately back to sleep.

Shizuru went out to the kitchen to cook some simple miso for her when she heard Natsuki coughing and rushed back to the room to find that she had ran to the bathroom. When she came out there were flecks of red along her lips and the side of her mouth. "Is that blood? Are you coughing up blood?"

Shizuru rushed to her side with a cold wet towel and wiped away the blood, then helped her back into the bed and took out her phone. "I'm calling the hospital."

Natsuki grabbed her wrist and pulled it away from her head. "No, no doctors. No hospitals."

"You're coughing up blood, Natsuki. I don't know what else to do."

"It's nothing, I'm sure it'll clear up in a day or two."

"It's not nothing." Shizuru's voice rose, more out of worry and frustration than anger though she was angry at the stubbornness of the woman in the bed, and she looked down at her girlfriend with a worried look. "What if something is wrong, seriously wrong? What if you get worse?"

Natsuki lay her head back on the pillow and closed her eyes. "No doctors, Shizuru."

Shizuru shut her phone and stomped away from the bedroom. _Stubborn woman, what can I do, though? A doctor would have to report his findings then Natsuki's secret would be known, but I can't just sit back and do nothing._ In desperation Shizuru turned to the internet and WebMD.

The symptoms seemed common enough and pointed to acute bronchitis but when she tried to add that Natsuki was a werewolf to the criteria the search naturally came up empty. She tried to search for similiar illnesses among wolves but couldn't make heads or tails of what she was reading. _I'm a writer not a doctor._ She tried looking up information on werewolves but all she found was silly fanfictions and crazed accounts of people who had sworn they saw one. After an hour of searching came up empty she shut her laptop with a sigh and resolved that if Natsuki didn't get better after three days or if she seemed to get worse then she would call a doctor no matter what she said. _I'm not going to sit by and do nothing._

For the next three days Natsuki lay in bed, her condition didn't worsen but it didn't improve either. Shizuru was beside herself with worry, worry for Natsuki who could possibly be dying in their bed and worry for what could happen if she called a doctor and he examined her closely. Natsuki had been adamant, 'No doctors', but she had been asleep for twelve hours straight so would be unable to object. Shizuru held the phone in her hand, the number to the nearest hospital already entered, all she had to do was push call and she could have an ambulance there momentarily. She thought about it for whole minutes before she shut her phone and tossed it onto the night stand, then exhaled and wondered if she had made the right decision.


	14. Chapter 14

**Battle Lines**

The next time Miyu saw Reito was one week after delivering the sample to him. She was summoned to his office in the Kanzaki building downtown to discuss her findings. When she pulled into the parking lot she found a large man ready to escort her to Reito's office. They took the elevator up as far as it would go then walked down several hallways before opening a set of double doors into a room that looked less like an office and more like a day spa.

The room was covered with plant life, ferns and bonsai trees took up most of the wall space, while the furnishings consisted of a large, meticulously organized desk, several classy chairs, lamps of varying colors and brightness and even a massage table. Reito stood from behind his desk as they entered. "Miyu, it's good to see you." He motioned towards the massage table. "Would you care for a massage? My bodyguard has excellent hands."

She looked next to her at the large man standing next to her who smiled down at her and flexed his large, muscular hands as if to illustrate his point. She had no intention of being manhandled by the large man and wondered if Reito often employed his services. "No thanks, let's get down to business."

"Always so serious," Reito motioned for her to sit in one of the lavish chairs across from him, "you need to learn to relax more."

"Alyssa has taken a turn for the worse. She doesn't look so well and the doctors are telling me this might be the one. Forgive me if I have no time for pleasantries."

"I'm sorry to hear that." This caused Miyu only more anxiety, coming from Reito the sentiment sounded disingenuous and false. "I wanted you to know that the sample you brought me last time came up negative. No mutations, nothing out of the ordinary."

"So another failure?"

"I think not." Reito leaned forward on the desk and steepled his hands, his eyes bored into Miyu in that way that annoyed her. "He may not have been a werewolf, but I think it was a werewolf that killed him." Miyu showed no expression, but her mind turned to the young woman she had hit with her car. The woman who had no marks or blemishes on her skin. "I read the autopsy reports and the wounds seem inconsistent with the detective's story on the matter. Officially Detective Sugiura Midori grappled with him while trying to protect Fujino Shizuru, but I don't think the detective layed a hand on him. I think he met a real werewolf, and that is who killed him. Then I remembered you were talking about a woman that you hit with your car, a woman who walked away without a scratch. Tell me about that."

Miyu thought back to her strange encounter with the woman and the impression it had left upon her. "There's not much to tell. I was backing out of a parking space, in a hurry since I was being chased, when I felt something bounce off the trunk. I got out and found a young woman, couldn't be more than twenty five years old, brushing herself off. Her clothes were torn up but she didn't have even a scratch on her."

"I think you may have accidentally met our werewolf." Reito leaned back in his chair and fixed her with one of his more obnoxious looks, one that said 'Do you know what this means?'. "What do you know about werewolves, Miyu?"

Miyu didn't know very much and didn't know whether what she knew was just romanticized versions of the truth or even if there was any truth. Werewolves don't exist, after all. "They're people that transform into wolf like creatures." Miyu shrugged, "I don't know."

"That's something, people that turn into wolf like creatures. These creatures are supposedly powerful beyond reckoning, ten times as strong as any human, as fast as the wolf from which they derive their form and brutal. Did you know that the werewolf myth had been present since ancient times?" Miyu shook her head. "I don't think it's just a myth, Miyu, and I think you've found one."

"So, what am I supposed to do?"

"Get her in here." Reito's voice hardened, "I don't care what it takes." He handed her a piece of paper, a form to commit for medical care. "Get one of her relatives to sign this. Mother, father, boyfriend it doesn't matte who, just get it signed and get her in here."

"Why?"

The look on Reito's face was one of incredulity. "Because your daughter is in our care, Ms. Grear." He dropped all semblance of friendliness and courtesy, replaced with cold, hard fact. "On our dime. This is all I request of you, do this and I will ask no more of you. Your daughter's care will be secured for the rest of her life if you just bring me this woman."

He had hit all the right notes and, while she didn't like his tone, she liked the idea of being done with his pointless errands. Though her heart wanted to pull the guy across the desk her head realized that this was the best deal that she was going to get. "Alright, I'll get it done."

Reito clapped his hands. "Excellent, I knew you'd see reason." Now that the battle between them had been settled Reito returned to his normal somewhat playful manner. He stood and walked around the desk to stand before Miyu who also stood as he came around. "This could change the world, Miyu. I can't tell you how, but millions of people in the world will thank you and this mysterious woman."

"I only care about one person."

Miyu turned away from Reito and walked out of the door. She expected his bodyguard to follow but he didn't and she was left alone on the long walk back to her car. It afforded her plenty of time to think, to think about being done with Reito's silly quest, to think about a lifetime of care of Alyssa and to think about the woman whose life she was surely to change on this mission.

She drove to the hospital to see Alyssa and say goodbye before she left for Fuuka once again. When she opened the door she found more than her daughter in the room. A brunette woman, much shorter than her with expensive clothes and an expensive looking pair of glasses, stood up and faced her. "Miyu Grear?"

"That's me, who are you?"

The woman held her hand out to shake. "Yukino Chrysant, I've come to talk to you about Kanzaki Reito."

"I don't know who that is." Miyu shook her hand, making sure to squeeze hard to emphasize her point.

"You don't know who signs the bills for your daughter's care, Ms. Grear?" Yukino's voice was full of sarcasm as she motioned towards the door. "Let's talk business." Miyu sighed and followed her down the hall to the same boardroom that Reito always spoke to her in. Yukino shut the door behind them and sat down at the table, motioning for her to do the same. "I know Kanzaki Reito, and a man like him doesn't pay for a child's healthcare unless he's getting something in return. What do you do for him?"

Miyu leaned forward and fixed her eyes dead on Yukino. "If you must know I fuck him." She tapped the wooden desk. "Right here on this desk."

Yukino erupted into laughter. "I highly doubt you're his type, Ms. Grear, but I can see that you're loyal. It's all right here." She took a large file folder out of the bag she had been carrying and dropped it onto the desk with a loud noise. "You graduated with a 4.0 grade point average from Middleton High School in South Carolina then went on to Harvard to study law. While there you got knocked up after a one night stand and dropped out to go to the police academy closer to home. You graduated and joined the force where you worked for several years as a beat cop until you suffered an injury to your spine that nearly paralyzed you. After that you left the force and set out on your own as a private investigator until your daughter was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. After that you fell into major debt until you were suddenly approached by Kanzaki Reito who offered to move you and your daughter to Japan and treat her under his dime. How is that so far?"

"Oddly detailed. What is this about?"

"To be frank, I want to know what Kanzaki is up to, and I want you to tell me."

Now it was Miyu's turn to laugh earning her an angry glance from the brunette. "If you know me so well then you know that I'm not going to tell you."

"I don't know you that well, but I don't think that you like Mr. Kanzaki very much." The look that passed over Miyu's face was a dead giveaway to Yukino who was well versed in reading facial cues. "He's a pompous ass of a man, an arrogant playboy with delusions of grandeur and he's been trying to take control of the Kanzaki Group from me. I want to know how he intends to do it and I think that you're a big part of his plan."

While it was true that Miyu didn't much care for Reito, he had offered her an excellent deal this afternoon. One she couldn't easily pass up. "He takes care of Alyssa."

Yukino leaned forward and fixed her own glare to Miyu's eyes. "Do you think he's the only one with that power? Kanzaki Reito is a board member of the Kanzaki Group, a company that I am majority shareholder of. If he can provide this level of care for your daughter, think of what I can do." She could tell that she was close to convincing Miyu, she just needed one more push. "We're in the business of saving lives, Ms. Grear, and to do that we need strong leadership. Whatever Reito is trying to do is only to advance his own interests and will bring down the company that I've worked hard to raise up. The company that keeps your daughter alive. Bring me whatever data you acquire for Reito and I promise you that your daughter will be cared for for the rest of her life." Yukino stood from the table, "I trust you to do what's right."

Miyu stood as well and, without a word or gesture towards the other woman walked out of the conference room with a chill down her spine. She may not have liked Reito but Yukino was far more intimidating. She knew where to strike at her and she had struck hard. Now Miyu was wondering what the right thing to do really was. _I'll think about that later, right now I've got a job to do._

She made her way back to Alyssa's room. Her daughter was asleep on her back, her eyes closed and with an angelic look on her face that melted Miyu's heart. She would do whatever it takes to keep her safe, even if it meant hunting someone down.

-WWW-

Several days after making the decision not to call a doctor for Natsuki, Shizuru noticed a marked improvement in her girlfriend's condition. The color returned to Natsuki's face, her eyes returned to their usual vibrant share of green and she was no longer coughing up blood. As it turned out being a werewolf gave her body amazing regenerative powers but no resistance against simple bacteria and viral infections. Natsuki had caught a nasty case of bronchitis but through over the counter medicine and Shizuru's doting she was making a recovery.

Shizuru was sitting on the couch with her laptop when she felt the cushions shift and a warm weight press against her side. A kiss on her cheeks still didn't break her concentration on the screen, she was entirely focused on her work. Natsuki started kissing her neck but still Shizuru's attention didn't waver. Natsuki caressed Shizuru's breasts through her shirt and Shizuru's breathing increased but her eyes never left the screen. "Hey."

"What?"

"Can I read it, yet?"

"No." Natsuki had been pestering her for a week to read what she had written so far but Shizuru refused. She never let anyone read her books until she felt they were perfect.

Natsuki's hand crawled down Shizuru's stomach and to her panties, her breath was hot on Shizuru's neck. "Please."

A moan escaped Shizuru's mouth, but her eyes were still glued to the screen. When Natsuki's hands broke the hem of her panties and started caressing her she felt her concentration starting to slip. "It's not done yet."

"I don't care." Natsuki whispered in her ear and bit down on her earlobe while her hand continued to caress Shizuru. Shizuru set the laptop beside her and laid back, exposing more of her neck to Natsuki and spreading her legs wider. Natsuki took the invitation and entered her with two fingers, her moans and sighs like music to her ears. "I just want to read it." Shizuru didn't hear, her body was too busy exploding from Natsuki's touch. Natsuki pulled at her loose fitting shirt to expose her breast then worked at it with her tongue while her hand continued it's exploration of Shizuru's insides. "Don't you remember that I'm your biggest fan?" At the word fan Shizuru was rocked with a strong orgasm that spread through her like a blaze and left her spent and sprawled across the couch. She had to admit, Natsuki could be very persuasive but she wasn't about to be coerced. "So, can I read it?"

Shizuru smirked at Natsuki, who had pulled her hand out of her panties and licked it clean before wrapping herself around her lover. "No."

"You bitch." Natsuki laid back on the couch and Shizuru laid on top of her, resting her head on Natsuki's chest. "Come on, one paragraph, one sentence, just one word Shizuru." Natsuki turned to pleading in desperation, something that Shizuru found adorable. "Please."

"Okay, okay." Shizuru had to admit, Natsuki could be very persuasive when she wanted to be. Her libido had never been something to brag about before but every since she had met Natsuki she had found the attraction she felt for the woman was powerful and Natsuki was more than willing to return those feelings. Most of their evenings turned to sex as well as most of their mornings, afternoons, dinners, baths and conversations. She felt like a school girl with her first high school crush. She could never deny Natsuki, not for long anyway. "I only have the outline, you can read that if you want."

"Great." Shizuru reached across the sofa for her laptop and handed it to Natsuki who set it across her lap, Shizuru then lay beside her with Natsuki's arm around her shoulders. She began to read, and even after the first chapter summary was impressed by what she was reading. After a time she started to recognize certain aspects of the story and the main character in particular. "Is this about me?"

"The main character is. I noticed that most of the stories about the supernatural that are being published right now describe a society of supernatural beings, usually in opposition to another group of supernatural beings. I wanted to do something different, the drama of one being, in this case a werewolf, struggling to fit into a world in which she doesn't belong."

"And she likes women, another aspect of trying to fit in."

"That's right." Shizuru was impressed by how sharp Natsuki was. "Remind you of someone you know?" Natsuki continued to read until she felt hot breath on her neck and a hand beneath her bra. "Let's make this interesting." Shizuru started caressing Natsuki's bare breast. "If you stop reading, you can't read any more."

Shizuru started working Natsuki's breast with her hand while she kissed and sucked at her neck until she left a mark. Natsuki started breathing hard but she maintained eye contact with the laptop screen. Shizuru deftly undid her bra and slid it from her then started working on Natsuki's breasts with her mouth. Natsuki moaned but her concentration didn't waver. Shizuru slid her hand down to the silk panties that Natsuki had been wearing and manipulated them down to the where the laptop rested on her lap then started to rub at her until she became hard and exposed. Natsuki struggled but kept her focus on the laptop as Shizuru entered her with three fingers and she cried out. Shizuru slid her tongue down Natsuki's silky skin and started licking at her hard clitoris while she pumped her fingers into and out of Natsuki in a fast rhythm. "Fuuck, Shizuru." Shizuru continued her ministrations until Natsuki finally lay her head back and cried out, her body rocking with a powerful orgasm. The laptop fell from her lap and to the floor as she rolled away from Shizuru to rest on her side, her breathing labored and her body slick with sweat. Shizuru wrapped around her lover and whispered in her ear with a satisfied smile, "I win."

-WWW-

Miyu arrived in Fuuka one week after receiving her mission from Reito and the counter offer from Yukino. She had spent the last three days studying everything she could find on the Werewolf Killer case and resolved to question everyone involved with the incident until she found the woman she had hit with her car. She drove down the Main Street towards the police station and prayed that the woman at the counter didn't recognize her. When she entered she found it was a young boy at the counter and no one there who would recognize her. "Hello, I'd like to speak with Detective Sugiura Midori."

"She's not here right now. Detective Sugiura has taken her family on vacation and won't be back for at least another week. Do you have something to report, I can take it down for you if you like?"

"No, it was a personal matter I needed to discuss with her. Something about her husband." Miyu reached for an excuse, not realizing that she was wrong.

"I didn't realize that the detective had a husband, I always thought she was with that psychiatrist that always brought her lunch." The boy scratched his head. "Just how do you know the detective exactly?"

"Well we..." She had nothing and sensed it was time for her to make a break for it. "Anyway, I have another appointment to get to so I'll be on my way." She left before the boy could do or say anything questioning and made her way at a brisk walk to her car. She had intended to interview the detective first as she was liable to get more answers that way but since the detective was unavailable she turned to the second name on her list. The victim, Fujino Shizuru.

She had searched the public database and found that Ms. Fujino had purchased a house recently and it was to there that she was headed. It was hard for her to find the address, even after spending a few years in Japan she had a hard time reading the language, and when she finally did she found no car in the driveway and the house empty. She knocked on the door several times and no one answered and when she looked in the windows she found all the lights off and a slight covering of dust over some of the furniture. It was obvious to her that no one had been in the house for weeks. She sighed, her second lead lost, then decided to head back to the scene of the crime and try to find something there.

She drove back to the parking lot that she had parked in and parked in the same spot as before. She got out and looked around, noticing a few buildings around her but only one of them had a back door that emptied out onto the parking lot. The back door to the diner.

She walked around the building and entered the diner, which was full as it was lunchtime and she was approached by a busty, red-haired woman wearing an apron. "Go ahead and sit down, I'll get to you in a minute."

Miyu sat down in a booth near a window and looked around while she was waiting. She saw a brown-haired woman sitting by herself at the bar and thought she recognized her but couldn't see enough of her face to tell. When the red-haired woman returned and asked for her order she began. "Actually I'm here to find someone, someone I may have accidentally hit with my car about a week ago."  
"So, you're the woman who hit Natsuki."

_Natsuki, now I have a name._ "I am and I'm terribly sorry about it. I was hoping to talk to her, maybe offer her something in repayment. Does she work or live around here?"

"She works here but she hasn't been feeling well. That's her girlfriend over there if you want to talk to her." The waitress, who's name tag identified her as Mai, gestured to the brunette sitting at the bar. "Shizuru is her name."

_Fujino Shizuru? Girlfriend? Interesting._ She knew that Fujino Shizuru had been involved deeply with the Werewolf case, even being a suspect in the early going, and now to find out that she was dating Natsuki, the woman she suspected was the real werewolf, was astounding. Things were pointing in the right direction now and all the pieces were falling into place. Now all that was left was to put them all together. _Maybe Reito is right, maybe he's been right all along._

She thanked Mai and approached the bar, sitting next to the brunette and catching her attention. When she saw Shizuru's face and looked into her eyes she immediately recognized her. She was a popular writer and had appeared on many magazine covers and even on television before. "Shizuru? My name is Miyu Grear."

"Grear? Are you American?" Miyu nodded to indicate that she was. "Welcome, then. What brings you to Fuuka, Ms. Grear."

"I came here to talk to you." At this Shizuru's attention turned fully to her. "I'm here to ask you about Natsuki."

"What about her?"

A strange look crossed Shizuru's face. "I was the one who accidentally hit her with my car a week ago."

"You hit her with a car? I didn't know that."

Shizuru was telling the truth, she truly didn't know about it. Perhaps, since it did no permanent damage to her, Natsuki had merely forgotten about it or perhaps she didn't want her lover to worry. Either way Shizuru knew nothing of what had happened and she felt that she could use that to her advantage. "I did, and I'm sorry if I hurt her. She looked pretty badly beat up afterwards."

A look crossed Shizuru's face, a look of confusion. _She knows._ "Are you sure it was my Natsuki that you hit? What did she look like?"

"She had long, dark hair, green eyes and an excellent figure."

"That sounds like her. You know what, I do remember asking her about a bunch of scratches on her back. I thought she might have been with another woman, you know."

Shizuru laughed but Miyu saw through it. _Nice try, Shizuru, but you've just given me all the information I need._ "I really want to apologize, so if you could tell me her name and address maybe I can send her a letter." Shizuru looked as if she were about to say no. "Please, it would mean so much to me."

"Okay." Shizuru took Miyu's phone from her and entered the information into a note for her. Miyu took her phone back and perused the data. _Kuga Natsuki, what a fitting name._ "Now she's not going to end up on any mailing lists, is she?"

"No, I can assure you of that. I just want to send an apology. If I were to send her a gift, what kind of thing should I get her? What does she like?"

"Well..." Shizuru looked to be in thought. "She loves lingerie of anything in silk."

Miyu smirked. "I suppose that's a gift for the both of you then." Shizuru smiled and Miyu stood and held out her hand. "Thank you, Ms. Fujino. You don't know what this means to me."

Shizuru shook her hand without standing. "It was my pleasure, Ms. Grear."

Miyu left the diner with all the information she needed about Kuga Natsuki. Now she needed to find a hotel with an Internet connection so that she could search up anything to do with her. After she left Mai approached Shizuru and filled her cup with tea. "Did you tell her about Natsuki?"

"Only her name and address, why?"

"She called you Ms. Fujino when she left. I didn't tell her your family name, did you?"

"No, but maybe she's a fan. I have a lot of those."

"I don't think so. Be careful, Shizuru."

Miyu drove around for an hour before she found a hotel with rates she was willing to spend and a decent Internet connection and entered her room for the evening. She sat down and plugged in her laptop, then started her search for anything related to Kuga Natsuki. After nearly an hour of searching through every known public database she came up with very little. A small criminal background but she never did any hard time, her medical records were surprisingly, yet not surprisingly considering her condition, empty. It was as if she had never seen a doctor in her life.

Miyu expanded her search to just Kuga hoping to find some family and finding a juicy gem. Her mother, Kuga Saeko, had been accused of murdering her husband and was sentenced to a lifetime in prison. Her defense had been that her husband had transformed into a beast and attacked her and she had shot him in self-defense. The only evidence presented was the horrible wounds across her body, wounds that seemed to support her theory. Miyu now understood that she had been telling the truth and decided that her next move was to speak to Saeko about signing the commitment papers. She was sure that if she dangled her freedom in front of her Ms. Kuga would sign whatever she wanted.

She laid down on the bed and closed her eyes, thinking of Alyssa as she always did before sleep took her.

-WWW-

Shizuru walked in to the house after her long stay at the diner and found Natsuki lying on the couch watching TV. Natsuki looked up as she walked in and smiled to see her. "How are they getting on without me?"

"Lousy, none of the other cooks are as fast as you. I told her that you'd be ready to work tomorrow."

Natsuki smirked. "Trying to get rid of me, Shizuru?"

Shizuru smirked back. "I don't want you getting too attached to me." She gave Natsuki a kiss as she walked by and headed to the bedroom to take her shoes off. She laid down on the bed she had become accustomed to sleeping on, the bed that she and Natsuki shared together, and closed her eyes. She opened her eyes and was looking up at green ones looking down at her. Natsuki straddled her with her hands on either side of Shizuru's head, her eyes filled with mirth and they both knew what was coming.

Afterwards, when they were lying entangled together on the bed, Shizuru asked, "Why didn't you tell me that some woman hit you with her car?"

Natsuki struggled to remember when she had gotten hit with a car. When the memory came to her she merely shrugged. "I just regenerated it, it didn't really matter."

"I know, but you can still tell me."

"How did you find out? Did Mai tell you?"

"No, the woman who hit you came by the diner looking for you. She told me that she wanted to apologize so I gave her your name and address to send a letter. She said she would send a gift, too."

"Really?" Natsuki seemed surprised to hear the news, she had never expected to hear from the woman again. "That's weird."

"Mai thought so too." They lay together quietly for a while, a long comfortable silence where neither spoke yet they communicated through their bond, light touches replacing words and body heat replacing facial expressions. Shizuru kissed Natsuki on the chest where her head lay cradled and turned over on her side. "I love you."

Natsuki pressed against her and kissed her gently on the neck. "I love you too, sweetheart."


	15. Chapter 15

**Commitment**

The drive out to the prison that held Kuga Saeko was long but Miyu enjoyed the scenery as well as the peace and quiet. The radio was off and the windows were down so she could fully enjoy the nothingness of where she was and put out of her mind for at least a few moments what she was doing. When the cold stone walls of the prison created the horizon Miyu looked up at them with focused eyes. She was ready to go.

She parked in the lot nearby and walked up to the checkpoint. "I'm here to speak to an inmate, a Ms. Kuga Saeko. I have an appointment."

The man behind the window took the ID that she offered him and he inspected it carefully then double checked the information with his computer. "It looks like you check out." He handed the card back to Miyu who put it back into her pocket. "Go on in, but be careful. Kuga has been on a real tear lately. We almost had to put her in solitary."

"Do you know why?" Miyu wondered if it had something to do with her daughter but doubted it. From the sound of it Kuga Natsuki didn't come visit her mother very often.

The guard shrugged. "Who's to say? Maybe she's hitting menopause."

Miyu rolled her eyes. _Leave it to a man to blame everything on a woman's menses._ "Right, well I'll be careful. Thank you."

Miyu walked through the well lit hallways, passing through several checkpoints and only narrowly escaping a cavity search, before she finally arrived in the visitor's room. She looked around her and saw a few other families there to visit inmates, some of them were crying and she recognized these as new residents, others remained cold and she recognized these as old timers, women who had served more time in than out. She expected that from Kuga Saeko.

She sat and waited patiently until she saw a dark haired woman walk through the door, her shoulders pulled back and her head down in a look that very clearly said this wasn't a woman to be fucked with. She shot one of the guards a withering glance then approached the chair. Miyu stood up and noticed that Saeko's anger increased at seeing her. "You're not Natsuki. Who the hell are you?" Miyu extended her hand to shake but was rudely ignored. "I asked you a question, who the hell are you?"

Miyu withdrew her hand. "My name is Miyu Grear. I've come to talk to you about your daughter and I don't come here empty handed." Saeko's look changed from angry to intrigued. She visibly calmed and sat down across from Miyu who took her seat again. Miyu leaned in close so she and Saeko wouldn't be overheard. "I know about your daughter, Saeko. I know that she's a lycanthrope."

"My daughter's not..." Saeko's words may have denied it but her face showed a deeper truth, that she hadn't known either. She appeared mournful, almost guilty, at the knowledge that her daughter had been afflicted. "Oh Natsuki I'm so sorry." Miyu wondered just how bad the change was that Saeko felt remorse and guilt over her daughter's condition.

"Do you know how she became afflicted? A bite maybe or some other method of transference?"

"Nothing like that." Saeko sighed and put her head down on the table. "Her father was a... She must have gotten it from him."

"So your husband was a lycanthrope? Did you ever see him change?"

"It was horrifying." Saeko raised her head and studied Miyu with her eyes. "How is any of this your business?"

"I work for a pharmaceutical group called the Kanzaki Group who has taken an interest in your daughter. We want to help her."

"Help her into a cage, you mean." Saeko's face hardened. "I'm not going to help you lock up my daughter so you can run your strange tests and experiments on her. I won't let you turn her into a lab rat."

"Experiment? You make it sound so vile." Miyu honeyed her voice trying to win over the woman. "I assure you, Ms. Kuga. our intentions are pure, we only want to help Natsuki overcome her affliction and like I said earlier I didn't come here empty handed." She motioned towards Saeko's shirt. "Can I see your wounds?"

Saeko bit her lip, unsure of whether to oblige this strange woman. She wondered how Miyu had known about her scars and was intrigued to see what Miyu had to offer so she relented and lifted her shirt revealing three long lines of scar tissue, white against her tanned skin. Miyu was aghast at the brutality of her wounds. "How did they convict you with wounds like these? These would be evidence enough for me."

"All it takes is a shadow of a doubt. If you start talking about werewolves in court it doesn't matter how much evidence you have. Renzo changed into a monster and attacked me, now our daughter carries the same curse."

"She doesn't have to." Saeko sat back down. "Let us help your daughter, Ms. Kuga." Miyu reached into the briefcase and took out the commitment form. Saeko took it from her and read it over. She seemed skeptical so Miyu pulled out her ace in the hole. "What if I told you that I can get you out of here?"

That was exactly what Saeko had been waiting for. She had expected that was why she was here and there had been a time, even up to that day, where she had been willing to do anything to get out but now that it was staring her in the face she was hesitant. Could she really sell out her own daughter for freedom? _It's not like their going to kill her, right? And who knows, maybe they can cure her. Of course if I sign it Natsuki will likely never forgive me._ While she was weighing her options Miyu was sitting back in her chair patiently waiting to see the outcome. "I want proof. Prove to me that you can get me out, then I'll sign your document."

Miyu had anticipated this and had made a few phone calls ahead of arriving at the prison. She took out her cellphone and placed a call. "This is Miyu Grear, I'm calling for Ms. Kuga Saeko. I'm going to hand the phone to her and I want you to tell her exactly what you told me."

She handed the phone to Saeko who took it and put it to her ear. "Ms. Kuga? My name is Gregory Stein and I'm a defense attorney currently on retainer for the Kanzaki Group. I have been discussing your case with Ms. Grear and I'm confident that there is enough evidence to reopen your case and we can have you out of prison by the end of the month."

Saeko had heard enough. Maybe these people could help Natsuki, and if she was able to get out of prison then win-win. She grabbed a pen that had been sitting on the desk and scrawled out her signature. With a sigh she dropped the pen to the table and hung her head. "There, it's done."

Miyu took the slip of paper and examined it. "You did the right thing, Ms. Kuga."

"Then why do I feel like shit?"

Miyu stayed silent and avoided Saeko's question, not wanting to get anymore involved in her situation than she already had. "Mr. Stein will get into contact with you soon and with any luck you should be back on the streets in no time." Miyu carefully put the form in her briefcase and stood to leave. "Thank you for your help."

Saeko refused to look at Miyu, possibly out of shame she thought, so she left her alone to her thoughts and headed out to her car. On the way she placed a call to Reito's private cellphone. "I have the signature."

"That's great, now take it down to the nearest hospital for processing. After that we'll send out a team to collect her and fly her back here." Reito's excitement was palpable and Miyu was feeling better about their deal. If this was truly the last one then she had a reason to celebrate, too. "Who signed it, if I may ask?"

"The target's mother, Kuga Saeko. I contacted your lawyer about getting her released."

"Kuga Saeko? That name came up in my studies. She killed her husband and claimed he had transformed into a wolf creature and attacked her. She had some pretty bad scars but there wasn't enough evidence to prove her story so they locked her up. Did you see them? Were they bad?"

"They were awful. If that's what we're up against I think you're going to need a hell of a team to bring her in."

"I was thinking the same, that's why I want you to go with them. More hands can't hurt, right?" The line started to get fuzzy and Reito started to cut out. "Listen, I'm headed into the office so I'm going to let you go. Call me if anything goes awry, I want to know immediately."

Reito hung up the phone and Miyu dialed a second number, a number that after two secretaries and nearly five minutes on hold put her into contact with Yukino Chrysant. "Ms. Grear, have you made any progress?"

Miyu swallowed hard. "No, the trail was empty. It's always empty." Miyu had decided not to work with Yukino after their less than friendly chat in the conference room, she may not have liked Reito but he had done her no wrong in the past but Ms. Chrysant had come off very aggressively and that didn't set well with Miyu. "This is the last job I'm taking for Mr. Kanzaki so you can forget about me."

"Right, well at least he hasn't gained any ground against me." Yukino sounded convinced so Miyu assumed that she was. "Thank you, Ms. Grear. I will get back to you about your daughter's case but I don't think it should take long to get your medical bills waived. Good luck, Ms. Grear."

Miyu hung up the phone and put it away, confident that she had thrown a dangerous villain off her trail. She started up her car and began the long drive back to Fuuka.

-WWW-

Reito sat down behind his desk and was starting to get comfortable when his bodyguard burst into the room. "Mr. Kanzaki, sir, there's someone here to see you. I told her you were occupied but she insisted."

Reito looked up in time to see a familiar brunette walk through his door, the eyes behind her round glasses scanned the room and found it unimpressive. "Yukino, to what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Skip the pleasantries, Reito. I know what you're doing." She dropped a packet of papers she had been carrying under her arm loudly onto the desk. "These are the medical records for Alyssa Searrs. What have you been giving her? Are you running experiments on the girl?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." To spite his words the tone in his voice and way his lips curled up at the ends said he was guilty. "These are standard treatments for her condition."

"There's nothing standard about these drugs, Reito. As you know human testing is illegal in this country. With this evidence I could have you put away."

"Evidence?" Reito scoffed and motioned at the pile of papers on his desk. "You have your word, Ms. Chrysant, and that's not enough to go on. The papers don't mean a thing, you have nothing."

"I have probable cause, enough to search your offices and laboratories and find out what you're really hiding. Why don't you just save me the trouble and tell me. Tell me what Ms. Grear was doing."

"Miyu? She was doing some recon work for me. You see I've been trying to have you killed and have so far been unsuccessful in my endeavors. Miyu is a professional assassin and I thought that she might succeed where I have failed so many times."

"Cheeky, Reito." Yukino knew that Reito was playing games, even if Yukino were to suddenly and unexplainably perish the board would never choose him to take over. He had a lousy track record and was somewhat of a laughing stock amongst his peers. He had been compared to a brilliant man all of his life, his father Kanzaki Kiriu, who had spearheaded some of the most popular and successful methods of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. He alone was attributed with treatments that were still used on cancer patients today. Reito had accomplished none of that in his life, his own theories on medicine seemed to be limited, his research never panned out. Still he held out hope that he could one day reclaim control of his father's company, something that Yukino wanted to avoid at any cost. Kanaki Kiriu had chosen her to be his successor, she had been his most prized student, his most stoic advocate and his secret lover. The company was all she had left to remember him by and she was determined to keep it out of Reito's hands. "I don't know what you're up to but I feel it is my duty to inform you that Ms. Grear came up empty. Whatever she was searching for is out of your grasp."  
"Is that what she told you?" Reito smiled with a new fondness for the private investigator. Yukino had obviously tried to make her an offer, a better offer than Reito could ever hope to make in his position, and by lying to her Miyu had refused her and chosen to take his side. All the better, the specimen that she was bringing to him would put him on the map and would finally destroy the vain woman on the other side of his desk. Reito's smile turned to a smirk, "Have you met Alyssa Searrs, Yukino? She's a lovely young girl."

"I don't care about some dying girl and I sure as hell don't care about her mother, I care about stopping you from bringing to ruin the company your father worked so hard to build."

"And what makes you think I would ruin it?"

"Because you're not your father." Voices raised and tempers flared as an age old argument continued. "You're father was a great man, intelligent and benevolent. You are nothing but a shallow, insignificant shell of him."

"Time will tell, mother." Reito looked down at her right hand to see the wedding ring that she still wore there, the ring that had bound her and his father in matrimony. "Time will tell." Yukino spun and walked out of his office in a storm. Reito looked through the records she had deposited on his desk. They were all records of the drugs and methods he had tried over the years to cure Alyssa's cancer, all of which had failed. He was not ready to give up, however, the discovery of the werewolf held great promise for his research. He dropped the file in a nearby garbage bin and returned to his daily tasks praying that Miyu was successful in trapping the beast.

-WWW-

Shizuru was sitting in the local pizza place waiting for her publisher. They had spoken recently and Shizuru had offhandedly mentioned that she was working on a new book. His ears had perked up at this and so he was driving the long distance out to Fuuka to get his first glimpse of it. Shizuru sipped on a cup of tea when a large mass of dough, tomato sauce and vegetables was set in front of her on the table. The blond woman who had set it there, Rachel Armitage if she remembered correctly, gave her a warm smile. "Have you ever had pizza before, Ms. Fujino?"

"I can't say that I have. It looks..." She studied the toppings, the sauce and the crust, all baked together in the stone oven that she could see from where she sat. The smell that drifted from the concoction was appetizing, she had to admit, though it looked less than elegant and a far sight more than she was used to eating. "filling."

"Oh, I doubt you'll get through two or maybe three slices with your figure. We have boxes so you can take the rest with you if you like."

The door to the place opened and she spotted her publisher, Mr. Ueshige, walk in and spot her immediately. Shizuru took a slice of the pizza and set it on a plate in front of her. She wasn't sure how to hold it up to her mouth and ended up spilling most of the toppings on the slice back onto the plate she held earning a chuckle and a lesson from the American woman. She took a bite and savored the flavors in her mouth, it was quite good though she could feel her stomach already growling in protest at the greasy mass. She wondered just how Americans could eat so much of this food, she smiled up at Rachel and gave her a thumbs up, a gesture she knew meant good things in America, and Rachel patted her on the shoulder as she walked away.

Mr. Ueshige sat down across from her as she swallowed the last bit in her mouth. "Shizuru, it's been so long. How have you been?"

"Great, actually." Shizuru took a napkin and wiped at the grease around her mouth, a sensation she was not too fond of, and looked back at the pizza like she was looking at a gallows. "Aside from this food."

"May I?" Mr. Ueshige took a large slice and began to devour it. "I love pizza. Did you know that it's originally from Italy?"

"I knew that." Shizuru opened her book bag and took out a stack of papers representing what she had written so far and handed it across the table to Mr. Ueshige, who wiped his hands clean so as not to grease up the pages and took them from her with gusto. "I don't have much yet, not even a title."

Mr. Ueshige took out his reading glasses and started turning pages, reading in his unusually fast manner that Shizuru had come to discover was a quirk. She supposed that if she had to read as many pages as this man she would read quickly as well. "Fascinating." He muttered to himself as he read, phrases of delight or small critiques. She finished her slice of the pizza and took another while he read. "Incredible." She took several bites of her current slice of pizza before he set the pages down and rubbed his forehead, a good sign she had come to find as it meant he needed to process what he had just read. "This is great, Shizuru. Incredible work, similar to some of your old work but very different. It also sounds more sure of itself, almost as if it's coming from experience. What was your inspiration, if I may ask?"

Natsuki, that was the answer. She had written the story based on her experiences with Natsuki, all the emotions she had felt for the woman were the ink on the pages he held in his hand, their love was the story. "I met someone." Mr. Ueshige smiled at her, a congratulatory smile that brought comfort to her. When she had called him days ago she had thought the conversation between them would be awkward considering the last time they had spoken was when she had told him that she was never writing again. She had been nervous about the call until a few minutes in when they were talking like old friends again and he seemed very interested in what she had been doing. "She means a lot to me."  
"Is she a fan of yours?" Shizuru nodded. "That's great Shizuru, it's good to see you moving on. I'm glad you reconsidered writing, you're very talented." Mr. Ueshige took off his glasses and returned them to their case in the satchel that he carried with him. "So, tell me about her."

Shizuru spent the next hour talking to him about Natsuki, how they met, when they realized they were in love, their lusty sex on the floor of her family's house. She left out the part about her being a werewolf, she knew he would understand but the less people who knew about Natsuki the better. "She changed me so much that I'm almost a different person now, almost like a werewolf. So I decided to give it another try and it's all thanks to her."

"That sounds nice." Mr. Ueshige himself had been married for over twenty years to a woman that he had loved since he laid eyes on her in grade school. He remembered seeing her with others and the pain when he thought he could never have her, he remembered when she was heartbroken and he had been there to mend it, he remembered when they fell in love and their wedding and the birth of their children. He was nearly beside himself with the love he felt from Shizuru as she talked about this woman, nothing like her previous relationship. He had a good feeling about this one, and he told her so. "I think you've found a keeper, Shizuru."

"I know I have." Her and Natsuki's relationship had only grown more passionate over time, the feelings that before were new and uncertain were now comfortable, their expression of love became easier until it was a second language to them, their lovemaking became more heated as each learned the other's preferences and secret faces. All of the things she had dreamt about when she was younger, lying awake at nights fantasizing about perfect worlds and perfect women, she had found in Natsuki and her heart soared at the thought. _True love does exist, and it felt amazing._ "I am truly blessed to have her in my life."

"I'm happy for you." Mr. Ueshige said from behind a massive slice of pizza, the last slice she noticed. He had eaten most of it for which she was thankful, she didn't think her stomach could stand another bite. She looked at him and noticed that he was fit for his age, she wondered just where he put it all. He finished the last slice and handed the pages back to Shizuru. "Thanks for calling, Shizuru, it's really good to have you back."

"It's good to be back."

Mr. Ueshige stood with a bow to Shizuru, a bow that she returned. "Keep me informed on your progress and don't hesitate to call me if you need anything. I'm really excited for you to finish so we can get you back on the shelves." Mr. Ueshige walked out of the door, turning around for one last 'Call me' before walking down the sidewalk and away from the store. She watched him walk passed the last window of the restaurant and breathed a sigh of relief. She had fully intended for the last time she spoke to him to be the last, at the time she was ready to quit writing and leave her old life behind. She hadn't planned on meeting Natsuki, hadn't planned on falling in love with her and hadn't planned to be inspired by her new love enough to pen another novel. Life had a funny way of working out.

She sat in that restaurant for another few moments, letting the reality of everything sink in, then waved goodbye to the Armitages who were both behind the counter and walked out to her car to head home. On the way her mind was filled to the brim with words, so much so that it made it hard to concentrate on the road sometimes, but when she pulled up to the house and saw an unmarked white van parked outside of it her attention shifted completely to the present.

Four large men got out of the van wearing white jumpsuits and approached the front door, she noticed that one of them carried a straight jacket and she sensed trouble. The passenger side door opened and out stepped a woman that was vaguely familiar to her, the woman who had hit Natsuki with her car, the woman she had told Natsuki's name and address to, Miyu Grear. Her heart beat fast as they knocked on the door and Natsuki answered, as Miyu tried to explain what was going on, as Natsuki slammed the door in her face and took off back into the house.

Shizuru slipped out of her car and ran to the front yard, only Miyu stood on the lawn as all four of the men had followed Natsuki into the house. Shizuru could hear the sounds of a struggle and one of the men cried out in pain then Natsuki came barreling out of the front door with three of the men hot on her heels. Natsuki spun quickly and hit the first with a haymaker that he couldn't dodge, breaking his nose and knocking him back into the other two giving her some breathing room. Miyu noticed Shizuru was approaching and stepped in front of her, standing between her and Natsuki. "Ms. Fujino, don't overreact."

"What the hell are you doing? You have no right to take her."

Miyu produced a piece of paper from a bag that she carried and showed it to Shizuru, the paper was a form to commit for medical care and was signed by Kuga Saeko, her mother. "According to her mother we do have a right to take her in, this is for the best Ms. Fujino. You must understand."

Natsuki was still fending off the three men who were trying to subdue her. She saw one of them produce a needle from his pocket and didn't need to see anymore to know what was inside of it. He lunged and she grabbed his hand, turning his arm and jabbing him with the needle that he still held. Within moments his eyes closed and he fell to the ground. The next man who lunged at her she kicked in the knee, breaking his leg before pulling at his arm and sending him to the ground. She sensed an opening and sprinted for her motorcycle, kicking it on and pulling out of the driveway at breakneck speed. Miyu spun around when she heard the engine but it was too late for her to stop Natsuki as the bike sped off down the street and around a corner out of sight. She heard groans and grunts from the men she had brought with her, apparently Kuga Natsuki wouldn't be taken in without a fight.

She sighed, Natsuki could have run anywhere and Miyu had no real way of tracking her movement. She remembered Shizuru standing close by and spun back around to face her. "Where would she have run to, Ms. Fujino?" Shizuru didn't answer, still in shock at the whole proceedings. "Ms. Fujino?" Miyu approached her and put a hand on her shoulder, snapping her out of her daze. "Where did she go?"

"I...I don't..." Shizuru was still a bit dazed, she assumed that Natsuki would have run to her family's ranch in the countryside but she didn't want to tell Miyu that. "I don't know."

"You do know and it's very important that I find her. Tell me where she is." Miyu grew more forceful, her grip on Shizuru's shoulder grew stronger until Shizuru felt she would break her arm. Her eyes widened as she stared into Shizuru's eyes with a look that was demanding and desperate. "Tell me."

Shizuru came to her senses, she stood up straighter and returned Miyu's look with an icy one reminiscent of Natsuki. "No."

Miyu seethed, this woman was being difficult and she needed a plan. "We're not the only people looking for her, Ms. Fujino. The company I work for wants to help her, wants to try and cure her of her condition." She lied to the woman, hoping it would be enough to turn her around. "If the government finds her first, they will lock her up, they will run experiments on her, they will take her away from you. If you love her you'll tell me where she went."

Shizuru was torn, she didn't want Miyu to take Natsuki away from her but she knew that if the government had already found out about her condition that they wouldn't stop until Natsuki was in their custody. Her mind ran wild with imaginings of the things they would do to her love, exactly what Miyu had intended. She didn't know that the government wasn't after Natsuki, she had fallen for the lie and Miyu could see it in her eyes. Her face sunk and the color drained from her face. "She went to her parent's ranch." As soon as the words left her mouth her stomach did a backflip and her heart broke. _This is for the best, right? _

Miyu ran to the back of the van and grabbed a pair of hypodermic needles, slid them into her pocket and returned to Shizuru. She grabbed her by the arm forcefully and pulled her towards her own car. "Take me there." Shizuru was too scared to object. Miyu had an iron grip on her arm as she opened Shizuru's car door and practicallly shoved her in. She started up the engine as Miyu sat down next to her in the passenger's seat. "Drive." Shizuru's hands shook on the wheel as she pulled away from the house and out onto the highway that would take them to the Kuga ranch.


	16. Chapter 16

**The End of the Rope**

Natsuki sat on the couch watching something that she wasn't paying any attention to when Shizuru leaned over the couch and wrapped her arms around her neck, planting a warm kiss on her cheek. Natsuki lay back into her embrace. "Are you nervous about meeting your publisher again? From the sound of it you told him that you were done when you moved here."

"He seemed happy when I called. I was nervous then but I know that it's going to be fine."

"He's going to love it." Shizuru sat down next to her, she leaned into her and Shizuru put her arm around her. Natsuki closed her eyes when Shizuru ran her hands through Natsuki's silky dark hair. "Is it sad that I'm going to miss you?"

"A little, but it still makes me happy to hear you say it." Natsuki had never pictured herself as a monogomous type of woman but where before when she thought herself a loner she was now understanding that she had needed to meet the right woman. Shizuru was that right woman and Natsuki had never been happier in her life. Shizuru had changed her in many ways, but they were all for the better. Natsuki no longer went out to the bars and so hardly ever got into fights anymore, she showed up to work on time and she even helped her manage her lycanthropy, when she was with Shizuru she never felt the need to change. It was like Shizuru calmed her in a very primal, instinctive way.

Shizuru kissed Natsuki on the forehead and stood up, ready to head to the American run pizza place for her meeting with her publisher. "Do you want me to bring you home something?"

"I don't like pizza, at least not that much. I'll just make myself some lunch."

"Okay, sweetheart. I'll see you later then."

Shizuru blew her one last kiss goodbye, for good measure, then closed the door behind her. She waited until she heard Shizuru's car start and pull away before she got up and looked through the fridge. There was enough for her to eat but nothing looked appetizing to her, so she decided to skip that part and head to phase two of her afternoon, a long, hot bath. She went to her bathroom and turned the water on as hot as it would go, the steam rising up from the bath clung to her skin. She let the bathwater run and unclothed, sliding the silk chemise and matching panties she had worn to bed off then folding them and setting them on the counter and wrapping a towel around herself.

When the tub was full she stopped the water and stepped gingerly in, letting the hot water flow over her feet as she dropped the towel and slid fully into the water. The hot water soothed her and she let out a long, relaxed sigh as she dipped in nearly to her eyes. She let her body relax into the water and lay there for long minutes before grabbing a nearby bottle of shampoo and lathering up her long black hair. She rinsed her hair in the water then closed her eyes and let herself drift away.

_She moved through the dark forest looking for prey, it had been days since she had fed and it was wearing her down. She smelled prey in the underbrush ahead so she crept up towards it. She spotted a white rabbit beneath a nearby tree with fur that almost looked like her own. She jumped into the branches above her and quietly hopped over to the tree that the rabbit was behind, the rabbit looked up and she thought he had been spooked but after a moment he lowered his head again and continued grazing. When she was directly above him she let herself fall, snapping her jaws around the little creature as she landed. It caught the rabbit completely off guard and nearly snapped him in half. She devoured it, tearing meat from bone with her powerful jaws until she had eaten her fill._

_She left the carcass where it lay and was going to move on when a smell caught her attention. She turned and noticed a woman approaching, her brown hair lay around her shoulders in a way that she found sensual and arousing, her crimson eyes peered through her and she felt naked before her. Without conscious thought she found herself approaching the strange woman who reached out her hand to touch her, gently as if she were unsure of herself. "Shizuru" she whispered as the distance closed between them. She felt the woman's hand in her fur then her body as she wrapped her in a hug. A change started to happen to her, she felt her body shifting and changing until she was human, still wrapped in the woman's arms. She embraced her back and they spent long moments holding each other, relishing each other's touch. Her attention to the woman left her blind to her surroundings and she screamed when teeth bit into her shoulder from behind._

Natsuki snapped awake, her eyes opened and she fell further into the water, swallowing some and coming up coughing. When she regained her breath she wondered what the strong dream meant, she didn't usually remember her dreams but this one stayed with her. She had a feeling that it was a sign of something bad that was going to happen but since she couldn't think of anything that it could be she just let it go and got out of the tub. While the water drained she dried her body and her hair with one of her towels then headed to her dressers to find something to wear. She chose something simple, a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt which could easily be taken off when Shizuru got back, then set about to making herself a sandwich.

She nearly jumped when she heard a knock on the door. Her first thought was that it was Shizuru back from her meeting but immediately threw it out when she realized that Shizuru wouldn't have knocked. She figured that it must be Nao so she left her sandwich on the table and headed for the door. When she opened the door she was shocked to see four large men in white outfits waiting for her, one of them held a straight jacket in his hands and this man spoke first. "Ms. Kuga, we're under orders to take you in for medical examination. If you come peacefully there won't be any trouble."

Natsuki set her jaw, she was damn sure she wouldn't let these people take her anywhere much less to a hospital. "You've already got trouble, you apparently don't know who I am." Natsuki slammed the door in his face and fell back to the kitchen. The door opened not long after she slammed it and the man who was holding the straight jacket entered first. He followed her down the hall before he noticed that she had grabbed a bat, she hit him on the head with it and he went down with a shout. She hit him again to make sure he stayed down. She stepped around the corner into the living room where the other three men were waiting for her. She brandished the bat and their eyes went wide. She swung first, thinking to get the upper hand and the the three men backed up and moved to surround her. One of them lunged in, reaching for the bat, but she swung it at him and backed him off. She was trapped in the house and needed to find a way out. Only one man stood between her and the door so she thew the bat in his direction. He sidestepped it and Natsuki followed it to the door, throwing it open and running out onto the lawn with the three men in pursuit.

She ran down the sidewalk, hearing their footsteps right behind her and closing in. She took the initiative and spun around, throwing a haymaker at the lead man who couldn't stop in time and was struck in the nose. She heard cartilage crack and felt blood on her hands as he fell back into the other two giving Natsuki some room to breathe. She saw a woman on her lawn, a woman she only barely recognized as the woman she had hit with her car but she missed seeing Shizuru on the other side of her. She backed up towards her motorcycle, she just needed a small window to hop on it and start it up. She saw one of the men produce a needle from the pocket of his jacket and she knew what it was, a strong sedative. He lunged at her and she grabbed his arm, turning it at the elbow and jabbing him in the throat with the needle he still held in his had. She hit the artery and the speed of the drug had the man asleep before he even hit the ground.

Another followed, trying to hit her with a sedative but she managed to back step and grab his arm. She delivered a swift, powerful kick to his knee which broke it and when she pulled his arm he fell to the ground with a cry. The last man backed off, knowing he had no chance against her alone. With a practiced swiftness she mounted her motorcycle and kicked it on, screaming out of the driveway and down the street before anyone could react to her. If she had looked to the right as she pulled out she would have seen Shizuru's car, but she was so focused on the road ahead that she didn't see it.

She pulled out onto the highway that led to the Kuga ranch and gunned the engine, slowing down only when she felt she had put enough distance between herself and her assailants. She didn't know why they were after her but from the looks of their coats she could guess. They were after a werewolf. She slowed down to a normal speed and tried to blend in the whole way to the ranch.

When she arrived she hid the motorcycle around the back of the old house and entered through the back door. She felt around her pockets until she found her cellphone and placed a call to Shizuru, thinking that she was still at her meeting with her publisher. The phone rang once then twice. "Come on, Shizuru, pick up." After the third ring her voicemail caught it and she frantically left a message. "Shizuru, don't go home. I don't know what happened but people are after me. Get yourself to a safe place and I'll call you when everything is over." Her thoughts grew somber and her voice pensive. "If I don't make it out of this just know that I love you."

She hung up the phone and her head, she didn't think they could find her so far out in the country but she also didn't think they would find out about her lycanthropy either so she had no idea what these people were capable of. She needed help and knew just who to call. She dialed a number and waited until a woman's voice answered from the other side. "I need your help."

-WWW-

As they left the town and headed out into the countryside Miyu was feeling unsure about where this confrontation was heading. She was heading to an unknown place in the middle of nowhere in search of a woman who had just fended off four men larger than her and who could shapeshift into an unstoppable killing machine at will. She had an advantage over her, however, the woman who was driving her out to the ranch under duress. At the very least she could use Shizuru as an escape plan, if she wounded her then Kuga would be sure to run to her giving her time to escape, a brutal plan but necessary if it came to the worst. She felt at her back to the pistol she concealed there and ran her hand along it, hopefully it wouldn't come to that.

A phone rang in the car and both Shizuru and Miyu looked over to the center console where it lay. It read clearly _Natsuki 3_ and Shizuru wanted desperately to answer it, to tell Natsuki to get away even if it cost her her life. Miyu looked into Shizuru's eyes and shook her head, drawing the pistol from her back and setting it on her lap for good measure. "Don't answer it."

Shizuru's eyes drifted from the gun to the phone before finally settling on the road. The phone rang three times before her voicemail picked up and Natsuki's frantic voice filled the car. "Shizuru, don't go home. I don't know what happened but people are after me. Get yourself to a safe place and I'll call you when everything is over." A slight pause and a more somber voice replaced the frantic one. "If I don't make it out of this just know that I love you."

Tears filled Shizuru's eyes as she drove_._ "I love you too."

This hit Miyu hard and she looked back at the things she had been doing, the deception and the lies she had used to chase down this mythical figure. She was starting to feel guilty until she pulled herself back together. _This is for Alyssa. I swore I would do anything for her and if this is what that means then so be it._ "I'm sorry about all this, but my daughter is dying and this is the only way I can save her."

"Better that she die than find out what you've done."

Miyu wanted to hit Shizuru then, to slap her in the face and tell her to shut her mouth, to knock her out for even mentioning her daughter but she didn't. Shizuru was the key to everything that was happening and as much as it bothered her Miyu couldn't do anything without her. Shizuru was her ace in the hole so she bit her tongue and kept her mind focused on the task at hand. Her hand went to the commitment papers she still had in her coat pocket, they had started this whole endeavor and had come to represent something she had been working towards for years, freedom for herself and care for Alyssa. They gave her a renewed sense of purpose, she steeled herself for what was to come.

The gravel road crunched under the tires of the car as Shizuru pulled up out of view of the house and stopped the car. "Good, now you're going to walk up to the door and knock."

Shizuru stopped the car and took in a deep breath. "Bringing you here was bad enough, I'm not helping you any more."

Miyu shut her eyes before picking up the pistol and pointing in straight at Shizuru's head. "Get out." Shizuru's breathing increased as the tension rose in the car, but Miyu wasn't ready to quit. She strengthened her resolve and thumbed back the safety. "Get out of the god damned car." Shizuru obeyed and opened the door. As she got out so too did Miyu, still holding the gun steady at her. "Now, you're going to walk up to the house and knock on the door. Understand?" She spoke through gritted teeth at Shizuru who let out a long breath and did as she was told, walking slowly down the road and towards the run-down house that she had seen only once before.

Miyu fell behind her, still pointing the gun at her head before slinking around to the side and pressing herself against the wall close by. Shizuru stepped in front of the door and raised her hand to knock, Miyu drew one of the sedative filled needles into her off hand and prepared for the response.

Shizuru knocked and there was no response at first. She looked over to Miyu and shrugged, Miyu signaled to her to try again. Shizuru knocked once more and waited, this time they heard footsteps approach from behind the door and then stop. Miyu signaled for Shizuru to call out to her. Her voice was cracked and forced when she called out, "It's me, Natsuki, please open the door."

The door opened inwards and Natsuki stood behind it, with only her head visible through the door frame. "Shizuru? What are you doing here?"

"I'm sorry."

This was all Shizuru managed to say before Miyu knocked her aside and took her place in front of the door. Shizuru twisted and put her hands up to block her fall, landing on her side in the grass. Natsuki looked surprised to see her but she had been prepared for it. Miyu thought she would backpedal into the house where she could corner and subdue her but Natsuki instead put her hands out and shoved Miyu backwards. Miyu was surprised by the strength of the brunette, she had been stepping forward when the shove knocked her off balance and threw her onto her back on the front yard. The gun clattered from her hand but she held on to the needle, then Natsuki was upon her.

After knocking Miyu to the ground Natsuki fell upon her with elbows and knees. Miyu fended her off but her position on the ground made it hard for her as Natsuki was much larger and stronger than her. Natsuki pummeled Miyu, keeping her from using the needle in her hand and landing a few solid hits on her chest and face before Miyu managed to squirm out from under her. Natsuki stood and faced off against Miyu who brandished the needle against her. "I don't know why you're after me, but you're leaving empty handed."

"That's not an option." Miyu and Natsuki circled each other, Shizuru backed up against the wall and watched them brawl from the sidelines. Miyu jabbed at Natsuki with the needle but didn't phase Natsuki who continued to circle her. She jabbed twice more, the second time Natsuki managed to grab her wrist and wrench it painfully upward. Miyu dropped the needle and swung her fist at Natsuki's face. She hit Natsuki across the nose causing her to let go of her wrist and step back, blood pouring from the offended appendage. As she watched Natsuki's nose mended itself, cracking into place, and Natsuki stepped back into the fight now more angry than before.

_What the hell do I do now?_ Miyu was a decent fighter but she had never fought against someone who couldn't be hurt, she was completely out of her element and it showed. Natsuki drove at her, a mass of jabs and straights that Miyu only barely managed to dodge while trying to keep her distance away from the long-limbed woman. She failed as Natsuki's stride and length of arms were enough to keep her in range for the entire fight. Natsuki landed a shot to Miyu's stomach and she doubled over, feeling Natsuki's elbow strike the back of her head and knocking her down to the ground. She landed with a thud and shook her head to clear it. She rolled to the side just as Natsuki's foot came stomping down, a stomp that would have ended the fight for good.

She got up and saw that her pistol was lying just a few feet away from her, she reasoned that she must have gone around Natsuki in their fight, and knew that was her only way to win. As soon as her eyes met it, however, Natsuki's did too so Miyu dove for the pistol. When she came up with it she noticed that Natsuki hadn't made a move to stop her, hadn't tried to keep her from getting the gun. Still she brandished the weapon, pointing it straight at Natsuki's chest. "Get on your knees, monster."

Natsuki grinned, a feral grin that chilled Miyu to the core. "What are you going to do with that, besides make me angry?"

Miyu didn't know if it would work, seeing Natsuki's broken nose mend so easily was disconcerting at best, but she had to try. What other choice did she have? Natsuki took a step towards her followed by another. "Stop right there." Miyu's warning went unheeded as Natsuki continued to advance on her, completely unafraid of the gun now pointed at her chest. "Take one more step and I'll shoot." Natsuki took that step and, as she had warned, Miyu pulled the trigger.

The shot hit Natsuki in the chest, mere inches to the right of her heart. The impact knocked her back, but not off her feet, and she fell to one knee clutching at her now bleeding gunshot wound. Miyu shook from nerves as Natsuki stood back up, a large entry and even larger exit wound in her chest. Miyu watched in horror as the flesh seemed to knit itself together until she couldn't tell that a wound had ever been there. She lowered the pistol and her shoulders slumped, now she was completely out of options except one. Her ace in the hole.

"You should quit now, you can't hurt me woman."

"That's where you're wrong." Miyu whipped around and took aim. "I can hurt you." She pulled the trigger and shot Shizuru in the leg. Shizuru went down screaming, holding her leg in pain, and Natsuki went to run to her but Miyu held up her free hand, her pistol still aimed at Shizuru. "Don't move or I'll kill her." Natsuki froze, she hadn't thought the woman would be capable of harming Shizuru but she had obviously underestimated her. In her heart Miyu rejoiced, she finally had the upper hand and she wasn't about to let it go to waste. She ran over to where Shizuru lay on the ground and lifted her up by her shirt until she stood shakily on her feet, Miyu stood behind her, putting Shizuru between her and Natsuki, and held the gun to the woman's head. "Get on your knees. Now."

Natsuki did as Miyu said, not wanting any harm to come to Shizuru. She fell to first one knee then the other, putting her hands behind her back in a gesture of surrender. "Okay, just don't hurt her."

Shizuru was in pain but she couldn't move for fear of the woman who held her. Miyu was desperate and anything could set her off. She watched Natsuki fall to her knees and inwardly wept, she was Natsuki's weakness and now because of her Natsuki was going to be taken from her. She could barely stand on her leg it hurt so much but she bit her lip and bore it, not wanting to give Miyu any more reason to snap.

Miyu was feeling accomplished, after her dueling with the werewolf she had finally gained the upper hand, now it was time to end the game. She walked forward with Shizuru until she was within arm's reach of Natsuki and used her free hand, now no longer holding Shizuru, to take the last needle of sedative out of her jacket. She heard the sound of tires crunching down the road and stopped, looking in the direction of the road in time to see a black car driving down towards the house. Behind the car came several police vehicles and Miyu's eyes widened. _How did they know to come out here?_

The police vehicles parked in a semicircle in front of the house and the door to the black car opened first, a man with two toned hair and wearing an investigator's jacket stepped out with his gun drawn. Yuuichi Tate took one look at the scene before him and pointed his weapon and Miyu. The officers who stepped out of the four other vehicles did the same, some of them taking cover behind their cars. "Drop the weapon and put your hands behind your head."

Natsuki heard the voice behind her and eased, Midori had come through for her. When she had called Midori earlier the detective had told her that she was in America on vacation with Youko and Nina but she had said that she would call Yuuichi and see if he could help. It had taken him longer to find the place than expected but he had shown up just in time to salvage the situation.

Miyu was stunned, of all the ways she had thought this would play out she had never imagined the police would show up. _Kuga must have called them while we were on our way here. I was so close too._ She did as she was told, letting Shizuru go, dropping the pistol and putting her hand behind her head. Shizuru fell to her knees still clutching her injured leg, Natsuki ran to her and took her in her arms. She noticed Shizuru was clutching something in her hand, a piece of paper.

Yuuichi and the other officers close in as soon as Miyu dropped the gun. "This isn't what it looks like." Miyu reached into her pocket prompting the officers to raise their weapons again. "Wait, I have an official document for this woman's commitment. I'm merely serving it." She reached into her pocket and found it empty, the commitment document wasn't in there. It in fact was currently being held by Shizuru who had taken it from her while she was being held hostage. Miyu searched all her pockets as the officers approached with weapons at the ready. "Wait, it's here somewhere."

Yuuichi took her by the arm and spun her around, pulling her arm to her back and shoving her against the side of the house. While he patted her down and recited the Miranda rights one of the other officers approached Natsuki and Shizuru. "What happened?"

"She's been shot."

The officer, an older man with bright green eyes, knelt down and moved Shizuru's hand aside. "It's just a flesh wound." He ran back to his car and returned with a medical kit. "Just relax, miss, this might sting."

The officer poured some alcohol on the wound and Shizuru winced and struggled. Natsuki knelt by her head and ran her hand through her hair to calm her. "Stay still, let him work."

Yuuichi finished her pat down of Miyu and found nothing, no other weapons and no documents. Miyu objected, "I have the paperwork somewhere. Just let me look for it."

Yuuichi took a ziptie from his belt and tied her hands behind her back. "You can tell all about it back at the station."

"Wait, stop." He pulled at Miyu and led her to his unmarked car. "You're making a big mistake." They passed Nasuki and Shizuru on the way and Miyu gestured wildly at Natsuki, her voice rising as she grew frantic. "She's the one you want, she's a werewolf. She could go crazy and kill us all."

Yuuchi looked from Miyu to Natsuki who looked up at him and shrugged. Yuuichi shoved the bound Miyu towards his car. "Yeah, yeah, keep talking. You're not making this any easier on yoursel."

Miyu struggled the whole way into the car, finally settling down when Yuuchi shut the car door and made his way back to Natsuki and Shizuru. The officer had finished binding her leg and Shizuru laid with her head in Natsuki's lap. Yuuichi approached Natsuki who addressed him. "You got here just in time."

"I would have been here sooner but Midori is terrible at giving directions." Natsuki helped Shizuru stand up and gently put weight on her foot. Natsuki hooked her arm around Shizuru and helped her walk towards the line of cars, setting her down inside. "Who is she and why was she after you?"

"I don't know." Natsuki shrugged, not knowing anything about her mysterious pursuer. She turned to Shizuru to ask her and saw Shizuru shove the paper she was holding into her pocket. "Do you know who she was? You're the one who talked to her."

"I only know her name, Miyu Grear. Everything she told me was a lie, so maybe that was too."

"That's not important, we'll identify her at the station. I can have one of the officers give you a ride to the ER if you want. You should get that leg properly treated."

Natsuki held out her hand for Yuuichi to shake. "Thanks a lot, I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't shown up."

Yuuichi shook her hand with a smile. "Not a problem, Natsuki. Any friend of Mai's is a friend of mine." He muttered under his breath, "And it helps when you call my boss."

Yuuichi walked to his own car and Natsuki shut the door to the one she stood by, walking around to the other side and sitting next to Shizuru who was still wincing every time she had to move her leg. Shizuru leaned against Natsuki and closed her eyes, resting comfortably against her. "I'm sorry, Natsuki. I led her here, I told her where to find you and I'm so sorry."

"She had a gun, you didn't have much of a choice." Natsuki understood and held no grudge against Shizuru but she was interested in something Shizuru was hiding. "What's on that piece of paper you took from that woman? Can I see it?"

"I don't think that's a good idea." Shizuru was definitely hiding something and Natsuki was now more curious than ever. "That woman was saying something about a document. You took it from her, didn't you?" Shizuru nodded. "What is it? Show it to me."

Shizuru drew in a deep breath and took out the paper, for better or worse it was Natsuki's right to know. Natsuki perused the paper, found the name of the Kanzaki Group, Kanzaki Reito, Miyu Grear and a name that was familiar to her. _Kuga Saeko. _"Mom, how could you?"

Shizuru looked downcast. "That's why I didn't want you to know. I was going to burn that paper as soon as we got home so that you wouldn't find it. I don't know what to say."

"I'm going to see her first thing tomorrow, and she had better have some answers. I want to know why she helped these people come after me and if they're going to come after me again."

-WWW-

After the long ride to the hospital Shizuru was feeling better. She was happy to hear that the bullet had passed right through, so they cleaned the wound and stitched it then bound it and told her that she had to stay off of it for at least a few days. After the day she had had she was more than happy to oblige, the incidents had given her some new material for her novel and she was desperate to get some down on paper. They had given her some painkillers to help her through the next few days and they left her in a mild euphoria only enhanced by Natsuki, who was acting the loving girlfriend and being there at Shizuru's side for the entire thing.

Natsuki was having her struggles as well, Shizuru could see it on her face and feel it in her light touches. Finding her mother's signature on that paper must have been devastating for her and she regretted giving it to her. She had intended to destroy it before Natsuki ever caught wind of it but now she was thinking it was better that Natsuki knew. Now they could work out their issues instead of adding a skeleton to the already packed closet between them.

After they were finished with her in the hospital and took down all her insurance information, she had bought excellent health insurance which Tomoe had thought was a waste at the time but now she was glad that she had, Shizuru and Natsuki took a cab home and found that the van that had been parked in front of her house was gone along with the four men who had come for her. They reasoned that it might not be a good idea to stay in one place, with everything as crazy as it still was, so they instead headed for Shizuru's house on the outside of town, a house that hadn't been in use for the month or so that the two of them had been dating. As such when they got in there was a layer of dust on everything and the main room looked disheveled and disused.

Natsuki carried Shizuru bridal style into the house and set her down on the bed, some dust flew up from her disturbance so Natsuki took off the comforter and shook it out before wrapping it around Shizuru. Shizuru, who's euphoria was being replaced with drowsiness, wrapped herself comfortably in it and promptly nodded off.

Natsuki sat down next to her. She felt guilty over what had happened to her, being held hostage, getting shot, all of the fear and doubt that she must have been feeling. She felt responsible, like her condition is what had caused everything. She fell into second guessing, wondering if it was the right decision to let Shizuru into her life. She was dangerous, she knew that, and it was probably better for Shizuru if she didn't have to be around all of that. Natsuki considered leaving, just getting on her bike and leaving Shizuru to a more peaceful life without her.

As if she could sense what was going through Natsuki's head, Shizuru's hand reached out and took Natsuki's by the wrist. She pulled on it until Natsuki was forced to lay beside her, she took Natsuki's hand and held it to her chest close to her heart. Natsuki felt her warmth, smelled her hair, heard her soft breaths close to her, tasted her skin when she planted a soft kiss on her cheek and saw a faint smile tug at the side of lips when she did and knew, in that moment, that she could never leave her. Mind, body and soul she was connected to her and if she had to fight the world to stay by Shizuru's side then she was prepared to do that. "I love you." The words sounded natural to her now, like breathing or thinking or walking it was just something she did.

The grip on her hand tightened slightly before returning to normal. "I love you, too."


	17. Chapter 17

**Mother's Betrayals  
**

Miyu sat stewing in the holding cell, still frustrated by the previous day's turn of events. She had spent the night in that cell and it was starting to drive her mad, not just that she had been foiled right on the cusp of victory but that she had failed her most precious person. _Alyssa, I'm so sorry. I guess I didn't deserve you after all._

She heard the clomp of a pair of boots and the jingling of keys and expected it was time for her to go to prison. At he arraignment hearing her charges had been read to her, one count of kidnapping, one count of conspiracy to kidnap and one account of assault with a deadly weapon, her bail had been posted at a rate that she knew she couldn't afford. She wanted to cry, she would never get to see her daughter again and that thought would drive her mad.

The jailer approached the cell and unlocked the door, the latch opening rang through the cell and sounded to her a death knell, the bell tolled for her and she stood with a sigh ready to face her fate. "You made bail, you're free to go."

A smile crept up Miyu's face, a smile of relief. _What guardian angel would watch over one as wicked as me._ "Your court date is set for December the first, if you don't appear you will be held in contempt of court and a warrant will be set out for your arrest. Understood?"

Miyu understood and nodded to indicate such. "If I may ask, who posted my bail?"

"You can ask him, he's in the waiting room."

Miyu had a feeling who she would see waiting for her and wasn't dissapointed when she followed the jailer out to the waiting room and saw Reito sitting in a chair waiting for her. He rose as she approached and kindly thanked the jailer who responded with a curt nod and returned to her desk. Reito motioned for her to walk with him and she followed down the corridors of the police station and out the front doors. "You went a little overboard, didn't you Miyu?"

Reito smirked at her and Miyu blushed, a bit ashamed of her actions. "I may have gone a little crazy but you said whatever it took. I did what I thought was right."

Reito's smirk didn't fade, if anything it increased in intensity. "I'm surprised that diplomacy never occurred to you." She followed Reito to a nearby parking lot where his brand new Mercedes sat with several spaces between it and the nearest car. "Did you try talking to her?"

Miyu shook her head. "It wouldn't have mattered, she wouldn't have come willingly. I know that now." He walked to the driver's side and hit the unlock on his keys. The door locks clicked off and he opened the door as she walked to the oassenger's side and sat down beside him. "Give me one more chance, Reito."

"No." Reito put on a pair of sunglasses and turned on the car, the engine growled to life with a power that surprised Miyu. "You're off this case. Where is your car?"

Miyu thought back over the previous day's events, getting Kuga Saeko to sign the commitment forms, driving to the hospital, riding with the crew out to the Kuga house. The hospital was where she had left her car. "It's at the hospital."

Reito put the car into gear and backed out of the space, pulling out onto the road and asking his gps for directions to the hospital. Within moments he had directions. "You're going to get your car and head back for Osaka, I don't need you further complicating this."

"What about Alyssa? What about our deal?"

"What can you tell me about this woman?" Miyu started relating to him all the details she could find about Kuga Natsuki; her mother was in jail for killing her husband who she claimed had turned into a werewolf and attacked her, she had a girlfriend named Fujino Shizuru whom she had kidnapped and shot, she worked at a diner downtown called Mai's Diner, the very same place where she had hit her with her car, she could regenerate all manner of wounds almost instantly and miraculously. She told him where she lived and how to get there and finished just before they pulled into the hospital parking lot.

Reito found her car and parked next to it. "Go back to Osaka and stay there, I will deal with Ms. Kuga myself. As for our deal, if I can get what I need from her then I'll hold your end fulfilled." Miyu was heartened to hear that, and stepped out of the car feeling lighter than when she had gotten in. "Don't speak of this to anyone, understand?"

"I understand." Miyu shut the door and watched as Reito's car pulled out of the hospital parking lot and out of sight. She had lost her head in pursuit of the werewolf and it had nearly cost her everything. Now, due to her benevolent patron, she had a second chance and she swore she would never do anything like that again. Her hunting days were over and she wished Reito success in his endeavor. She didn't know what method he would use but she hoped that they proved more successful than her botched attempts.

-WWW-

Natsuki woke up in Shizuru's house, in Shizuru's bed and heard the clicking of a keyboard next to her. Her workaholic girlfriend was back on the job, it seemed. She thought over what had happened the previous day and wondered just where she had gotten the computer. As far as she knew Shizuru's laptop was still at her house.

"Good morning, sweetheart." Shizuru noticed that she was awake without her eyes leaving the screen, something that Natsuki had gotten used to since dating the writer, Shizuru was very into her work.

"Good morning. I thought your computer was still at my house."

"One of them is."

Shizuru turned her attention from the screen long enough to accept a good morning kiss from Natsuki before returning to her work.

"How many computers do you have?"

"Three." Natsuki was somewhat surprised by the number. "One at your house, one at my house and one in my car in case I need it. You never know when inspiration will strike." She said the last with an air of authority that made Natsuki smile.

The computer presented a problem when Natsuki tried to cuddle with her girlfriend, something that she was keen to do after being attacked by that strange woman. She tried everything but was unable to effectively cuddle Shizuru while she had the computer in her lap. Shizuru, being the workaholic that she was, was so engrossed in her work that she didn't notice her girlfriend's struggle. Finally Natsuki decided diplomacy might be the best plan of action. "Hey, baby," Natsuki ran a finger down Shizuru's arm, "why don't you put that computer down for a while and get comfortable with me?"

"Aren't you going to visit your mom?"

"I'm going later, it would just be nice to spend time with you." Shizuru looked over and smiled at Natsuki, she closed the laptop and set it on the bedside table then lay down and held Natsuki close. Natsuki accidentally brushed against her leg wound and Shizuru stifled a cry. "I'm sorry. Are you okay?"

"It's fine. It feels better than yesterday."

Natsuki felt terrible about the entire situation, if it hadn't been for her Shizuru would never have been put in that situation. All her life things had exploded around her, from her youngest memories of her mother killing her father, to her years of drug and abuse and now to getting the woman she loved shot. "I'm sorry. If it wasn't for me you wouldn't have been in that situation, if it wasn't for me you wouldn't have gotten shot."

"Stop that." Shizuru knew what Natsuki was doing and wasn't in the mood to hear any more of it. "It's not your fault that psycho decided to come after you and it's not your fault that I got shot. I love you," Shizuru looked Natsuki dead in her eyes, making sure that she knew the truth, "and if you ever question that again I'll hit you right in the mouth." To emphasize her point she balled her hand into a fist and lightly tapped Natsuki on the jaw, a playful hit that made Natsuki laugh.

"When did you become so violent?"

"When I started dating a werewolf."

Natsuki held Shizuru close, feeling that their bond had never been stronger. She had searched for all her life without knowing what she was searching for and had found it in this writer that she had loved since she was a young woman. In her she had found acceptance and unconditional love and she wasn't about to question that, not anymore. She felt that she would live and die for the woman at her side and it was the greatest thing she had ever felt in her life. She looked at the clock on the nightstand and realized that she would have to leave soon if she wanted to get to the prison during visiting hours and regretted having to leave the warmth of her girlfriend. She shifted and groaned as the cold of the autumn morning hit her and she shivered. Shizuru pulled the blankets closer to her as she sat up and pulled the computer back into her lap. She reluctantly got out of bed and took a quick shower. She sat down on the bed to tie her shoes and felt arms snake around her neck and a warm kiss on her cheek. "Don't judge your mom too hard, Natsuki. I'm sure she had a good reason for signing that form."

"Because of her you got shot and I was nearly taken. I'll never forgive her, whatever the reason." Natsuki finished tying her shoes and took Shizuru's hands in her own, she turned her head and found the lips that were waiting there for her. "I love you, Fujino Shizuru."

"I love your stubborn ass too, Kuga Natsuki." Natsuki stood to leave and Shizuru returned to a sitting position on their bed with her computer in her lap. "Why don't we go out for dinner tonight? After all the drama it might be nice to take it easy and eat out."

Natsuki raised an eyebros suggestively at the comment. "A woman after my own heart." Natsuki winked at Shizuru who blushed at the comment then headed for the door. "I'll see you later, and we can talk all about eating out."

On the long drive out to the prison her mind was running scenario after scenario of how the conversation would play out. Her mother would be apologetic but Natsuki would stay strong and tell her off, her mother would feign ignorance and Natsuki would drop the document that she had in her pocket and go off on her, her mother would start aggressive and Natsuki would rise to her challenge. There were a dozen different scenarios she had come up with before she parked in the lot and let out a long breath before walking into the prison.

After two checkpoints and nearly earning herself a cavity search from a woman who looked like she would be rough about it Natsuki sat down in the waiting room and waited for her mother. She waited for ten minutes before her mother walked through the door, took one look at her and tried to go back the other way. "Don't you dare run away, mom. You owe me an explanation."

Saeko grit her teeth and turned back to face her daughter. Natsuki was on her feet and the eyes of everyone in the room were upon her. "Natsuki, I'm sorry I didn't see you there." Saeko took a seat across from Natsuki who also sat down, everyone returned to their own conversations leaving them to speak in private. "I didn't expect to see you for a while."

"Outside of a cage, you mean. I know you signed that woman's document, I know you helped her chase me down."

"How do you think she found out who you are? I think your new girlfriend might have had something to do with that."

Natsuki wasn't going to be baited by her mother, she had already forgiven Shizuru but it was her mother who was now under fire. "Shizuru had a gun to her head, what did they put to yours?"

"My freedom." Saeko turned grave, she hadn't expected for Natsuki to find out and now that she had she was worried about losing her daughter. The thought bothered her seeing as she was close to being released. The application to reopen her case had already been filed and the lawyer was certain he could get her released. "I've been in here for over ten years, ten years Natsuki. I didn't get to see you grow up, I wasn't there for you when you were on the streets and now..."

"That doesn't excuse selling me out, mom."

"You're here, aren't you?" Saeko was getting worked up, Natsuki steeled herself not ready to forgive her mother. "She told me they could help you with your..." Saeko leaned close, "problem."

"You told her about that?"

"She told me, something you never did. I don't know how she found out but she already knew when she spoke to me. She told me she worked for some pharmaceutical group, Kanzaki or something, and said that they might be able to cure you."

Natsuki's anger didn't abate. "Cure me? I don't have a disease or a virus mom, this is who I am."

Saeko slammed her hands on the table. "You saw it, you saw what he did to me." She lifted her shirt and Natsuki looked away, she had never been able to look at her mother's scar, it unnerved her and reminded her of something she would rather not remember. "You could do the same, Natsuki, you could hurt Shizuru and then what?"

"I would never hurt her."

"You think that now, but you can't control it. When it comes out it will hurt anyone in it's path, even someone you love."

"That's not going to happen."

"You say that until it does, then what do you have?" Saeko threw that at Natsuki who was already upset with her and her words weren't helping. She could see Natsuki's anger boiling just beneath the surface and came to the conclusion that angering her daughter may not be the best way of getting what she wanted. Her daughter was an intelligent person, she would be sure to listen to reason. "I signed it, alright, I admit it. So, now what? You stay mad at me forever and I never get to see you again?"

"That's about right." Natsuki showed no emotion in her voice, nothing to betray what was going on inside. She should be happy for her mother, from the sound of things she was going to be released and she knew that this was a big step for her, but every time she tried to be happy she thought of Shizuru in the hands of that woman bleeding from the gunshot wound to her leg and with a gun to her head. She tried to be happy but was brought back to that moment and how her mother had been instrumental in making that moment happen. _I can't forgive her. _

"Would it help if I said I was sorry? Would it help if I told you that I did it for you, so that we could be a family again? Would it help if I told you that I love you?"

Natsuki's expression softened a small amount before she closed her eyes and hardened her expression again, Saeko knew that she had hit a nerve and that their relationship still had a chance whether Natsuki admitted it or not. Natsuki's eyes met Saeko's and they shared a mother-daughter moment before Natsuki pulled her eyes away. "It might."

A smile creased Saeko's face and she decided to change the subject. "So, how are things going with Shizuru? Are you ready to admit to me that she's your girlfriend?"

Natsuki smirked at her mother. "You already knew that, why should I admit it?"

"Because I want to hear you say it."

"Yes, she's my girlfriend and the love of my life. Is that what you wanted to hear?"

"That's all I've ever wanted to hear." Saeko took her daughter's hand from the table and held on tightly. "All I want is for you to be happy, Natsuki."

Natsuki pulled her hand away from her mother's grip. "I'm still mad at you."

"You have every right to be, I just hope that in time you can forgive me."

Natsuki nodded, still angry but no longer blinded by it. Her mother had screwed up but it had all turned out okay, they were still alive and Natsuki wasn't strapped to a table in a laboratory somewhere being diseccted. She took the sheet of paper in front of her, a form that had cost her much grief in the last twenty four hours, and tore it small pieces. She tossed them into a nearby trashcan and checked the time. "It's a long drive back and Shizuru and I are going out to dinner tonight. I should go."

"Okay, Natsuki." Saeko stood and went to embrace her daughter who accepted it but didn't return it. "I'll let you know when the trial is. I hope you'll be there."

"Maybe." Natsuki left with that non-committal answer and Saeko watched her until she was out of sight. Natsuki was angry with her but anger faded and she knew in her heart that Natsuki would forgive her sooner or later. She silently prayed it was sooner, the lawyer had told her that Natsuki was an important part of the trial. Natsuki wasn't able to testify at the first trial, still to traumatized by the event to talk about it, but now that she could it was an important piece of evidence for her side. She hadn't told Natsuki because she didn't want Natsuki to feel like she was using her, she wanted Natsuki to forgive her as her daughter not her key witness.

Natsuki hadn't yet forgiven her on the walk out to her car, she wasn't as angry with her mother as she had been but she still felt betrayed and that was a feeling that wouldn't abate so easily, a feeling that couldn't be bandaged over with words.

She had plenty of time to think about it on the drive back to Fuuka. When she got there she drove to her house to pick up some clothes and other essentials before she returned to Shizuru's house. As she pulled up she noticed a car sitting in front of her house with a man standing next to it with a cigarette in his hand. She didn't recognize him but was wary after her encounter with Miyu. She got out of her car but didn't move from it, addressing the man in a loud voice. "Who are you and why are you doing here?"

The man took a long drag on his cigarette and exhaled smoke, he ran a hand through his short, dark hair and fixed her with his gaze. "Would you be Kuga Natsuki?"

"Who wants to know?" Natsuki was wary of this man, she didn't like the look of him.

"My name is Kanzaki Reito and I'm here to talk to you."

She recognized the name from the commitment papers and seethed, so he was here for her. There was no Shizuru around for them to leverage her this time, this time she would rip to pieces. The anger rose to the surface, her memory of being attacked, of her fight with Miyu, of Shizuru screaming in pain as the bullet tore through her leg, all of these feelings rose to the surface and she almost changed then and there.

The man, Reito, recognized her anger and held up his hands as if to say he surrendered. "I come in peace. I regret the actions of Miyu Grear, she wasn't intended to go so far."

"She shot my girlfriend."

Natsuki's voice was angry, almost a growl, and Reito was suddenly scared of her. "That's her doing, not mine. I assure you I'm just here to talk."

Natsuki calmed but only a little, she was still furious enough to transform if she had to. "Then talk."

Reito calmed himself, this situation could turn ugly quickly but if he kept his cool and simply explained himself he was sure Natsuki would understand his position. "I'm a geneticist, Ms. Kuga, I study genetic codes like my father did. My father founded the Kanzaki Group and was renowned for his breakthrough in the field of medicine, specifically for pioneering some of the techniques used for treating cancer today. He made great strides but he always felt that there was another plateau, like there was something he wasn't seeing. I grew up in his shadow, everyone expected me to be like him but I'm not." He hoped that Natsuki could relate to his trouble with his father but from the look on her face she didn't seem to care. He pressed on anyway. "I've spent my life trying to find someone like you, someone with an abnormal genetic code. A mutant, for lack of a better word."

This word seemed to anger Natsuki who didn't like being referred to as a mutant. "If you're trying to anger me then you're doing a damn good job."  
"I don't mean that in an offensive way, Ms. Kuga. Let's just say you have an advanced genetic code, you're further up the evolutionary chain than us." This seemed to placate Natsuki, Reito continued. "You have regenerative abilites, do you not? Miyu was kind enough to share with me the story of your little scuffle." Natsuki indicated that she did. "In short, I believe that ability could be the cure for cancer as we know it. Think about it, you could be the woman who helped end cancer."

"Then everyone would know what I am. I can't have that."

Reito bit his lip, he had thought the allure of fame would be sure to attract the woman to his cause but it wasn't so. "I can make you rich, richer than you could ever imagine."

Natsuki smirked at him, he was trying to bait her and being obvious about it. "Money isn't important to me."

Reito was running out of ideas, if fame and fortune didn't interest the woman then what did? "I can offer you men or women, whatever you want Ms. Kuga you can have it."

"My answer is no." Reito grit his teeth. "You think you can cure cancer with my genetics, but what if you don't? What if all you manage to do is make more monsters like me? I can't let that happen, Mr. Kanzaki, I won't have that on my soul."

"I assure you, Ms. Kuga, I have a team of some of the best scientists in the world and we..."

"I said no, Mr. Kanzaki. Now if you want to fight I can show you first hand what your assassin already learned, otherwise get off my lawn and out of my life."

Reito had lost and inside he was screaming at her, that she was a fool to turn down his offer, that she couldn't imagine how important this was to him and, more importantly, the world, that he could take her if he wanted to. Outside, however, he knew that he couldn't tangle with the werewolf, that she would destroy him if he tried so he simply lay his head back and let out a long sigh. "I guess that's it, then. I can't make you see reason and I can't make you come with me so I guess my quest is over."

"Yes, it is." A voice from behind him startled him and he turned to see his step mother Yukino standing behind him, arms folded across her chest and her eyes blazing up at him. Natsuki was caught off guard, she hadn't seen the woman approach even though she was looking in that direction. "Reito, leave this poor woman alone. She won't have any of your games so go back to Osaka and lick your wounds."

Reito nearly growled at her, but instead he simply lowered his head and bowed to her. "You're right, of course. I will head back to Osaka."

"Say hi to Ms. Grear for me." Yukino called after Reito who didn't acknowledge the comment and merely continued on to his car. Yukino then turned to Natsuki, who was still apprehensive of the woman even if she had just ran Reito off. "We haven't met before, I'm Yukino Chrysant, Reito's step-mother." She sauntered towards Natsuki who stayed still, never letting her guard down. Yukino stopped just out of arm's reach and held out her hand for Natsuki to shake. Natsuki reluctantly shook it quickly then returned her arm to her side. "I'm sorry about all this, Reito has been trying to live up to his father's legacy for some time now and, unfortunately, he's turned to some desperate measures to do so. I am interested, though, why was he after you specifically?"

Natsuki shrugged, if Yukino didn't know what she was then she wasn't about to tell her. "You would know more than me being his family, I only know that I want this to stop."

"Don't worry, you've heard the last of us Ms. Kuga." Yukino reassured Natsuki who calmed herself. "Once again, I'm sorry about everything that happened." Yukino held out her hand to shake once again and Natsuki reached for it. When their hands touched she felt a sting in her wrist and noticed that Yukino held a syringe, a now empty syringe. She suddenly felt drowsy, her eyelids drooped and her vision blurred. The world around her seemed to slow down as the sedative took instant effect. "I am truly sorry, Ms. Kuga, but I need to know what my son wanted with you."

"You..." Natsuki fell to her knees, trying to remain awake but failing. She tried to raise her adrenaline levels, tried to call upon the besast with and transform but the sedative didn't allow her to. It effectively blocked her abilities and instead of transforming she merely fell to the ground. "You..." Her last thoughts were of Shizuru before she lost consciousness on the grass, Yukino still holding the hand she had used to administer the sedative. Natsuki's eyes closed and her body relaxed, Yukino let go of her hand and it fell to the dirt with finality.

Yukino opened her phone and made a quick call, from around the corner a white van parked where Reito's car had previously been. Three large men pulled a gurney with them and lifted the unconscious Natsuki onto it, strapping her in and preparing her for the long drive back to Osaka. If she woke up they needed some assurance that she wouldn't rip them to shreds on the highway. They pushed the gurney into the back of the van and closed the doors, the three men took off in the van while Yukino ran across the street to where she had parked her own car and started it up. She pulled out onto the street and hurried after the white van, the van that now carried a mystery. A mystery she was intent to solve.

If she wasn't so focused on the van in front of her she would have noticed the red and green tuner that followed her out towards the highway. If her mind weren't so busy trying to figure out what Reito could want with the woman she would have noticed the four other tuners join the first as they passed out of the town and out onto the open road. If she hadn't been obsessing over her son's plans she might have noticed them pass her in formation and move to surround the van. After that, all hell broke loose.

-WWW-

Shizuru was still sitting on her bed with her laptop in her lap. She had been there since Natsuki had left and only stopped once when her stomach growled so loudly that she took her crutches and walked her way to the refrigerator to make herself something to eat. She made herself a simple sandwich and some instant soup and took it up with her to devour in front of her computer. She sat and ate, when her leg started hurting she reached for the pain killers waiting for her on the nightstand and popped two. Within moments the pain subsided and she started feeling better.

She was working hard when her phone rang and brought her out of her zone. It rang again and she realized that it was just out of her reach on the other side of the nightstand. She leaned across the bed, reaching with her fingers trying to get a hold of it. She caught the edge of it and was about to pull it back when the blankets shifted and she fell off the bed and onto the floor. She fell onto her back and the phone fell inches beside her head. She grabbed the phone and answered it. "Hello?"

"Shizuru? This is Mai, from the diner. Are you okay? You sound a little off."

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You sound like you fell off the bed."  
Shizuru groaned from her place on the floor, her leg had started to hurt a bit but it started to subside as she looked up at the daunting task of getting back up onto the bed. "I'm fine, Mai. Is there something you need?"

"Nothing really, it's just been a while since you've been in the diner. We never get to talk anymore. How are you doing?"

Shizuru pulled herself onto her feet and stood tentatively for a moment before falling onto the bed, she turned around and pulled herself up to a sitting position with her pillow at her back then put the phone back to her ear. "I've been okay."

Mai could hear her struggle to return to the bed and wasn't falling for her 'I'm fine' routine. "What happened? Did Natsuki leave you sore last night?"

"What?" Shizuru didn't expect that from Mai. "No, I got shot in the leg yesterday and I can't really walk."

"What?" Now it was Mai's turn to be surprised. "You got shot? Why? Are you okay?"

"It wasn't a big deal." She didn't want to worry Mai with the whole story or accidentally slip up and tell her about Natsuki's secret. "It was an accident."

"You accidentally got shot?" Mai's voice was disbelieving over the phone. "Where's Natsuki? Is she there with you?"

"No, she went to see her mom at the prison. She should be back soon, though." She looked at the time and realized that it was almost dark and Natsuki should have been home by now. Even if she had stopped somewhere she would have had enough time to get home. "She should have been back already. I hope nothing bad has happened."

"I wouldn't worry too much about it. Natsuki tends to disappear for a while but she always come back. When she gets there will you tell her to call me, it's about work."

"Okay, I will. Bye." She hung up the phone and wondered where Natsuki could be. She had been hoping that Natsuki would show up soon so that they could go out to dinner but here it was getting later and Natsuki was no where to be seen. She had a bad feeling about it and tried to call Natsuki. It went straight to voice mail and Shizuru grew more worried. _I hope you're okay Natsuki._

_-Author's Note-_

_I'm celebrating this story reaching 90 followers, my most popular story yet. Thank you faithful readers and I hope I can keep you interested in this story._


	18. Chapter 18

**A Deadly Demon's Dance**

"This way Mr. Kanzaki."

Kanzaki Kiriu followed his secretary down the hallways of one of the hospitals owned by the Kanzaki Group, a hospital that mainly housed cancer patients and their families. Kiriu was the lead doctor and one of the foremost minds on cancer treatment leading this hospital to be one of the most sought after in the world. His work in the field was truly remarkable but he always sought a higher plateau, he always felt there was something more to his work than merely alleviating this deadly illness. He was certain that it was his destiny to cure it.

He followed his secretary down white, sterilized hallways until she stopped at a door. The room was a single and the name on the door read Y. Chrysant. "She's in here, sir."

"What is her diagnosis?"

The secretary looked down at a clipboard she carried, to the document that rested upon it. "She was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. So far all forms of chemotherapy and radiotherapy have failed to suppress it. The doctors have given her less than a week to live. Her family is currently traveling from America to say their last good byes."

"Did they sign the release?" The secretary handed him a piece of paper that detailed the type of procedure to be used on their daughter. At the bottom were two signatures, Darin and Himiko Chrysant, with a handwritten note in the bottom in the father's handwriting that read, 'Please save our daughter'. He ignored it and checked the form to ensure everything was in order. When he was satisfied that it was he handed the form back to her and opened the door.

Inside a young woman lay on a hospital bed, her eyes closed indicating she was asleep. Her chart had identified her as Yukino Chrysant, a half Japanese, half American college student in her early twenties who had contracted lung cancer in her teens. She had gone through years of treatments before she was transferred to the Kanzaki cancer treatment center for more advanced study. She was skinny and gaunt, her skin hung from her bones with almost no color to speak of. Her hair was thin laying on her pillow, he reasoned that most of it had fallen out during chemotherapy, a common side effect.

He approached the bed, setting the bag he carried with him down on a nearby table, his secretary stood behind him. He ran a soft hand through her hair and her eyes slowly fluttered open. Kiriu looked into them and found them lovely. She looked up at him groggily and spoke with a scratchy, drowsy voice. "You're not my regular doctor."

"No, I'm not." He was aware of who her regular doctor was, a competent physician but well out of his element with Yukino. "My name is Doctor Kanzaki, it's a pleasure to meet you."

He smiled his most charming smile for Yukino and she smiled back, a faint and pained smile but a smile none the less. She tried to lift up and greet him but she couldn't muster the strength, her breath was ragged as he turned away from her and to the bag he had been carrying. "Are you here to read my last rites?"

The voice from the bed sounded so cynical, so jaded that he frowned at hearing it. He attributed it to being told for the last few years that she was going to die, it took it's toll on even the strongest person. He had seen it in patients before but seeing it on this lovely young woman seemed somehow out of place. "Not at all." He took a leather case out of the bag and unfurled it, inside was a large syringe with a long needle and three bottles, one with a blue label, one red and one green. "This treatment may not fix your attitude but I'm hoping that it'll make you feel better."

"What is it? Some kind of new chemo?" Yukino had been through as many kinds of chemotherapy that existed and none had taken, she was skeptical that this man could do any better. "I've seen them all."

Kiriu took the red bottle first and stuck the syringe in it, drawing out the yellowish liquid inside. "You haven't seen anything like this." He filled the syringe and turned back to her, he cleared a space on her upper arm and rubbed it with disinfectant. "I would tell you that this is going to hurt but I'm sure you've heard that enough." He smirked as he stuck the needle into her arm and emptied the syringe's contents into her blood.

She fidgeted and squirmed, appearing in pain. "It it supposed to hurt like this?"

Kiriu quickly grabbed the next bottle and filled the syringe this time with a white liquid. He stuck the needle in a different place and pushed the plunger, Yukino settled back into the bed as the pain ceased. "Sorry, I should have been faster about that. Ms. Inoka, please make a note that the first injection causes pain while the second eases it. A quick application of the second injection is beneficial for the patient."

His secretary wrote his notes down and this interested Yukino. "Is this some kind of experimental treatment?"

"Yes, it is. Very astute." Kiriu drew from the last bottle, Yukino read the label, Kuga R. "This one..." Kiriu stuck the needle into her vein, "Is the secret ingredient." He pressed on the syringe and emptied it's contents. Kiriu watched closely for a reaction and didn't see any noticeable change in Yukino's condition. He didn't know what he had been expecting, a flash of light and a heavenly voice shouting "Eureka". Preposterous. "Do you feel any different?"

Yukino shook her head. "No, no different."

The secretary wrote something down on her clipboard and Kiriu nodded his head as if he were discussing something with himself. "I'll be around to monitor your progress as the week progresses. Stay strong."

"I'll try," Yukino responded with her now common bluntness, "but no promises."

Kiriu returned several times a day over the next week to check on Yukino's progress. The first two days he noticed no noticeable change in her condition. It was on the morning of day three that he started to notice significant changes. That morning he arrived at his usual time of eight in the morning to find Yukino awake, her eyes met his as he walked in and a smile played across her face, a brighter smile than she had ever had for him. "Hello, and how are you this morning?"

"Never better."

Kiriu noticed that most of the color had returned to her face and that she was starting to put on weight. "Really? Have you experienced any pain or anything else noteworthy?"

"I've been feeling hot, really hot."

"Hot? Interesting." Kiriu took a note of it on his own clipboard and wondered what the sensation could mean. He took her vitals and noticed that they were higher than they had been in the time he had been visiting her. "You feel okay otherwise, though?"

"Yes, I feel great."

Over the next two days her condition continued to improve at nearly miraculous speed. She returned to her normal weight, her hair grew back to it's full thickness and tests revealed that her lungs were as healthy as they had been when she was a teenager with no sign of tumors. By the time Yukino's family came to visit her she was back to her old self. Her father was stunned. "Yukino? My god you're alive."

"You look great Yukino." Her mother and father embraced her and all gathered were nearly to tears. When the door opened and Kiriu walked in all eyes turned to him. He froze in place. "Hello, you must be Yukino's parents."

Yukino's father approached and took his hand, shaking it vigorously. "Are you the miracle worked who saved my daughter?" He didn't wait for her to answer. "Darin Chrysant, I'm so happy to meet you. How did you do it? The last time I saw her she looked just days from death and now she's ten years younger. How did you do it?"

"A magician never reveals his secrets."

Yukino's mother bowed her head in a gesture he was more familiar with, a gesture he kindly returned. "I can't thank you enough for saving my daughter."

"There's no need to thank me, Ms. Chrysant, this discovery is as important for the world as it is for your daughter." Kiriu approached Yukino who was standing by her bed. "How are you feeling today, young lady?"

Yukino smiled up at him with eyes that seemed to pull him in. Since his wife had passed during childbirth he had been left alone to raise his only son Reito, a difficult prospect while also managing one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in Japan. He had been so buried in his work that this young woman making eyes at him was enough to push him nearly over the edge. "I feel better than ever, thanks to you."

"Preliminary tests show you have been completely cured of cancer." At this Yukino's parents cheered and Yukino blushed. "Have you noticed any unusual side-effects, mood swings or hot flashes, anything like that?"

"Now that you mention it, I have noticed that it gets hotter when you walk in."

"Yukino." Darin chided his daughter. Kiriu took it in stride, his smile plastered wide across his face.

"I'm sure that's normal."

Yukino was released from the hospital the next week and Kiriu prepared to send his formula into mass production. He and Yukino started dating soon after that, and it was during this time that he discovered the side effects of his supposed cure. Side effects so brutal that he was forced to scrap the project and dispose of his notes, notes that would later be found by Reito.

-WWW-

Yuuki Nao was proud of her new car. She had bought it off one of the bar rats who was selling it to settle his debts and she picked it up at a great price. Now she was the proud owner of a red and green tuner, a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, and her first thought was to show it off to her friends and her best friend first of all. She drove to Natsuki's house and stopped a few doors down expecting to surprise her.

She stopped when she saw Natsuki talking to a brunette woman that she didn't know. Natsuki went to shake her hand and suddenly it was as if she had been struck, she fell to her knees while the brunette continued to speak still holding on to her hand. Nao ran closer and hid behind a low wall, the brunette talked into a phone and a white van came around the corner, stopping in front of Natsuki's house. Three burly men emerged making Nao think twice about charging in to save her. As she watched they strapped Natsuki to a gurney and loaded her into the van. She didn't know why any of this was happening but she had a guess, a guess that involved what she had seen that night at the Masashi house. She ran back to her car while dialing a number into her phone. "Deacon, get a few of the guys together and meet me on the highway out of town."

"Are you in danger, Nao? What did you do?"

Nao ran up to her car through the door open. "Not me, Natsuki. Hurry."

Nao put the car into gear and pulled out behind the brunette woman who was herself following the white van out of the city. As they approached the town limits three other tuners fell into place around Nao, she signaled to Deacon on her right which cars were the targets. He signaled back that he understood and the four cars took action. They flowed around Yukino's car and towards the white van leaving Yukino to Nao who pulled up close and sigaled for her to pull over. Then hell erupted.

The van ahead tried to ram one of the cars surrounding it and hit the gas trying to break free. The struck car fishtailed but the driver regained control and returned to the fight. The van sped up and tried to break free of the other two cars but they were faster and their drivers more skilled, they stayed on it and tried to force it off the road. It rammed another of the cars, the car driven by Deacon, and he returned the favor.

They traded paint while behind them Yukino had elected to stay out of the conflict and focus on losing the car that Nao drove. Nao proved to be a tough opponent, her car was faster than Yukino's and she stayed on her no matter how she reacted. Ahead of them the white van was in trouble as one of the cars came up from behind it and clipped one of it's back tires causing it to spin out and roll twice over before coming to a rest back on it's tires. Yukino slammed on the brakes but still hit the van, the impact pushed both cars foward and threw her through the windshield to slide painfully on the pavement before coming to a rest.

The racers spun around and approached the downed van. In unison they parked and exited their vehicles, each of them wore a black mask around their eyes and a striped shirt and each armed with a bat or pool cue. Nao took the lead and approached the van, her eyes searched for Yukino and found her at the end of a trail of blood down the street.

Yukino miraculously got to her feet, pieces of glass stuck out at odd angles from her upper body and face but otherwise she looked unharmed. Nao stopped and eyed her with deadly intent. "I'm not going to let you take Natsuki. She's one of us."

A deep laughter came from Yukino who started pulling shards of glass from her skin. "You won't **let** me." Yukino pulled a large piece out of her cheek and Nao watched in horror as the skin seemed to slowly stitch itself back together. "You can't stop me." Nao drew the pistol from her back, one that she carried in her car and had made sure to take with her when she left it, and fired a shot but it was too late. Yukino's body started to contort and reshape itself into a monstrous form that Nao had seen only once before and the other stripes had never seen before.

The monstrous Yukino was very similar in appearance to Natsuki's form the main differences were in the coloring of fur and eyes, where Natsuki's fur was a stark white and her eyes a glowing green, Yukino's fur was dark brown with black streaks and her eyes glowed a fierce red. She roared at Nao and Nao took two steps away from her. She charged and Nao fired off two more shots, hitting Yukino in the chest and causing damage but not enough to stop her. One of the stripes stepped between them and took the charge, Yukino threw him against a car and he fell to the ground bleeding. Nao noticed who it was, it was Deacon.

Nao ran to his side and aimed the gun at Yukino who menacingly approached. Nao knelt beside him and he spat out blood. "Run, Nao. Run away."

"No, I won't leave you here." The other stripes had run away and were now using their cars to hide from Yukino. "I won't let her kill you."

Yukino charged again and Nao closed her eyes ready for the end but the hit never came. As Yukino neared them the doors to the van burst open and a white blur charged out, striking Yukino and sending her flying. When Nao opened her eyes she saw not the brown and black of Yukino but the white of Natsuki growling at her adversary, green eyes ready for the fight ahead. Nao never thought she would be relieved to see Natsuki in her monstrous form but right now she was the most beautiful were-creature she had ever laid eyes on.

Yukino stood and readied for the fight. She stood several inches shorter than Natsuki and her wounds regenerated slower but Yukino made up for it in sheer ferocity. She attacked first, trying to bowl over the larger and stronger Natsuki and failing. Natsuki grabbed her and used her momentum to throw her across the street and towards the nearby treeline. Natsuki leaped after leaving Nao with Deacon.

"What the hell was that? A demon or some other kind of monster?"

Nao helped Deacon to his feet and with the help of the other stripes in the area helped him over to her car. "You don't want to know." She helped him into the passenger's seat and closed the door. She cast a glance in the direction the werewolves had run. _Good luck, Natsuki. _

-WWW-

Yukino landed on her back and howled in pain. Being a scientifically created werewolf her regeneration was nowhere near Natsuki's and her more sedentary lifestyle left her more susceptible to injury. Natsuki was more of a fighter than her animal instinct would have her fight regardless.

She got to her feet as Natsuki flew through the air and landed scant feet away from her. She growled low, her teeth flashed white in the sunbeams that filtered through the forest ceiling, her green eyes turned to slits as she stared down her adversary. Yukino struck first, charging at Natsuki and trying to tackle her. She was unable to and Natsuki struck downward with her elbow hitting her in the back hard. Yukino moved around her to her back and used all of her strength and momentum to lift Natsuki into the air for a body slam.

Natsuki's body hit the ground hard, hard enough to leave an impression if her in the dirt, hard enough to break every bone in a normal human's body. Before she could catch her breath again Yukino was on top of her. She was all teeth and claws, biting and rending at Natsuki who used her forearms to defend herself. Yukino was fast and brutal but each cut and gash she inflicted healed as quickly as she could inflict them. Natsuki stuck her claws in to Yukino's shoulder, earning a howl from the brunette, before bodily throwing her off and getting to her feet.

Yukino landed on her feet and slid for yards before she stopped, the wounds on her shoulders closed but slowly. She was locked in a war of attrition with Natsuki and she was losing. Natsuki lowered herself and leapt into the air, flying towards Yukino with teeth bared and claws out. Yukino turned and ran, a tactical move since she couldn't take Natsuki head to head so she decided a sneak attack would be preferable. She could hear Natsuki behind her as she ran, closing in fast and ready for the kill. In an instant Yukino stopped herself and spun around, Natsuki didn't have time to react and ran straight into her. She dug her claws into Natsuki's chest and stomach causing her to howl in pain then sunk her teeth deep into Natsuki's throat.

Natsuki's howl changed to a gurgle and blood poured from her throat as Yukino pulled trying to rip her throat out. Natsuki tried to throw her off but she couldn't, Yukino had her claws deep into Natsuki's flesh and she wasn't about to let go. Natsuki fell to her knees as her breath left her, she was starting to black out and was running out of options. In an act of desperation she drove her own claws deep into Yukino's chest and pushed. Yukino cried out, letting go of Natsuki's throat and her claws loosened enough to let Natsuki push her away. She grabbed Yukino by the face and threw her as hard as she could, Yukino flew backwards into a tree and fell to the ground. Natsuki's wounded throat healed as well as the deep wounds in her sides and she regained her strength faster than Yukino, whose wounds closed slower and pain was deeper. Natsuki got to her feet and lunged at the still recovering Yukino who fell back and flinched at the pain. Natsuki stayed her attack at seeing the wounded werewolf's response, anyone seeing it would have been perplexed by the move seeing how bitters they had been fighting before. Yukino backed up into the tree as her wounds slowly healed, both werewolves were out of breath but Natsuki was far from winded. A low growl followed by a whine issued from Yukino, a sign that she was badly hurt. Natsuki returned a growl, 'Surrender'.

'Never'. Yukino dove at Natsuki who side stepped and struck her on the head with the back of her massive hand. Yukino dove at her again and Natsuki leapt into the air, Yukino fell onto her face and Natsuki landed with feigned interest. She growled, this time a mocking growl. 'You're defeated.'

Yukino growled low. 'Not by you.' She attacked again but her attacks were getting weaker, slower and easier to read. Natsuki easily blocked her weak attack and shoved her back.

'Give up.'

Yukino lowered her head, a sign that Natsuki took to mean that she was quitting. She turned her back on Yukino and she pounced, gathering all of her strength for one last charge. She clamped her jaws into Natsuki's shoulder. Natsuki, taken by surprise, struggled to maintain her balance with the new weight on her back. She regained her footing quickly and grabbed Yukino with both hands, tearing her free from her shoulder and throwing her to the ground. Yukino took a chunk of Natsuki's shoulder with her as she fell and hit the ground with a thud. Natsuki planted her foot on Yukino's shoulder pinning her to the ground then proceeded to pummel her, raining blows down upon her head and shoulders until Yukino's body started to convulse and shift back to her human form.

Natsuki took her foot off of Yukino and looked down at her broken form, the bones in her face slowly resetting and replacing themselves. The fight had been hard but Natsuki had emerged the victor. She walked away, heading further into the darkness of the wood and followed her instinct, an instinct that pointed her in the direction of something familiar.

-WWW-

Nao sat with Deacon in the ER until it was his turn to be seen. When he it was finally his turn two nurses showed him to the back and stopped her when she tried to follow. "You can stay out here in the waiting room, we'll alert you to his status."

Nao wasn't content to be complacent however, it wasn't her style, so she place a call to a number she had never used before. "Fujino Shizuru?"

The voice over the phone sounded disappointed, as if she had been expecting a different voice. "Yes, who is this?"

"Yuuki Nao, you might remember me."

"Oh right, Natsuki's friend. You haven't seen her today, have you?"

She found it odd that Shizuru would ask her just the thing she was calling about. "I take it she hasn't come home then?"

"No she hasn't. Why? Did something happen?"

Nao let out a sigh, she didn't know if it was her place to tell Shizuru what had gone down but she didn't see any harm in saying it, at least the woman wouldn't be left wondering. "She was kidnapped by a woman, a woman who turned out to be another werewolf."

"What?" Shizuru sounded shocked, she could imagine the woman's face with her mouth hung open in disbelief. "Another werewolf?"

"It shocked me too. Natsuki transformed and fought her off but I lost track of her after that. I'm heading back to see if I can find her."

"Will you call me when you find out?"

Nao could hear the concern in her voice and felt a pang of a feeling that was unfamiliar to her, she was jealous of Natsuki. She had never had anyone to worry after her and for the longest time had thought that she didn't need it, that such feelings would hold her back, but heading the worry in Shizuru's voice made her pine for a deeper connection with another. She wanted her own Fujino Shizuru. "I will."

Nao hung up the phone and hurried out to her car. She spun out of the parking lot and drove as fast as she could towards the spot of the wreck. The police had arrived and were starting to cordon off the area. Nao parked her car out of immediate view and headed off into the trees in search of Natsuki.

She stumbled around for minutes before she stumbled upon blood, lots of blood. She hoped that the police didn't perform a thorough search of the area, the amount of blood would be difficult to explain easily. She followed the trail until she saw what looked like a body lying in the dirt, torn clothes barely covering the places where wounds should be. She approached and recognized the body as the woman who had tried to kidnap Natsuki, the other werewolf.

She cautiously walked up and knelt beside her, there was a large pool of blood around her head and the broken bones were still knitting themselves together as she watched. She looked like she was dead. Nao reached out to check for breathing when she heard a pistol click from behind her and a thick voice say, "Stop, thief."

Nao held her hands in the air, a common sign of innocence. "I didn't do anything. I just got here."

"Bullshit." The gunman came into her peripheral view, a tall man with black hair approached the body with his gun still trained on her. "Am I supposed to believe she drug herself out here and beat herself to death?"

"She's not dead, she's a werewolf."

She didn't get the reaction she expected. Rather than the man laughing and saying how ridiculous the idea was he seemed to be confused. "No, that's not possible." He lowered the weapon and looked closely at the unconscious woman. He noticed the bones resetting themselves beneath her skin and took in a deep breath. "But...but why? How?" He looked to Nao for answers. "What happened?"

Nao explained what she knew as best she could leading up to losing track of the two werewolves. The man seemed to piece things together in his head. "So she was trying to take Ms. Kuga behind my back." He looked around him and assessed the situation. "It seems that Ms. Kuga won as she is not present."

"Looks like it." Nao stood and faced the man, ready for answers to her own questions. "What is she to you?"

"She's my step mother."

"Why were you after Natsuki?"

The man seemed to pause to think about things. "I don't really know anymore. When she wakes up I'm going to have a lot of questions for her."

Nao, her curiosity sated, now sought an answer to their dilemma. "So, what are we going to do about this? This is very public."

The man paused in thought. "I'm a doctor, so I'll say my mother has a dangerous heart condition and she needs to be taken to a specialist. I'll escort her to one of our hospitals and take care of her myself."

"And the cars? The accident?"

"Here's how we'll play it. My mkther's condition flared up and she lost consciousness. When she did she slammed on the gas and hit the white van, causing it to roll and her car to slide. She came to and tried to crawl away, calling me on her cellphone when she did. I came over and found her here. With any luck they won't ask too many questions. As for you, you need to disappear."

"I can do that."

They shared an awkward look before the man gave her a charming smile. "You know, I feel like I owe you something for this. Why don't I take you out to dinner sometime?"

Normally Nao would have walked away without a second thought but after the day's events she was in a mood to give love a chance. "That sounds fine, but it had better be expensive." She still had her priorities straight after all. She gave him her number. "Don't take too long, there's a bit of a line."

His smirk never faded. "A line of rich business owners? I'd like to see that. I never got your name, by the way."

Nao haughtily walked away. "Do good on our first date and I'll tell you"

On the way back to her car she opened her phone and called Shizuru who was anxious to hear back from her. "Did you find her?"

"No, it looks like she ran off."

Nao got to her car and watched as the man who had just asked her out reasoned with the police while carrying his mother's body. She quickly got into her car and pulled away from the scene heading back to town. "You said she was transformed, right?"

"Yes, why?"

"I know where she is."

Shizuru seemed sure of that fact, Nao knew better than to question it. If anyone knew how to find Natsuki it was her. "Should I come pick you up then?"

"I'll be waiting."

Nao hung up the phone and followed the directions Shizuru had given her to find her house. When she got there she walked up to the door and knocked. "Come in," she heard through the door and opened it to find Shizuru wearing a leg cast trying to put the shoe on her other foot. "Come on, go on there."

Nao got to one knee and helped her. "What happened to your leg?"

"Thanks." Once the shoe was on she had no problem tying it herself. "I was shot during the last time Natsuki was attacked."

"Does it hurt?"

"Yes, but the painkillers help a lot."

"You're really brave for staying with her and dealing with all of this. I don't think I could take a bullet for someone, even someone I love."

Shizuru turned pensive and let out a long sigh. "I didn't used to think so either, but when you find that person, the person you want to share the rest of your life with, you don't even think about it. I would take a thousand bullets for her and I know she feels the same way about me. That's love, I guess."

Nao smirked, "Maybe you should let her take the bullets, she recovers faster."

Both of the women shared a laugh. Afterwards Shizuru hoisted herself off the chair and grabbed the crutch standing nearby. "Come on, let's go rescue my girlfriend."


	19. Chapter 19

**Family**

Midori, Youko and Nina stood in a dusty field in Texas in line with a few other families waiting for Nina's turn to ride a horse. It was a hot day in late October, a fact that confounded Youko which she expressed loudly. "Doesn't this state know that it's October? Why is it a hundred degrees in October?"

"I don't know, honey." Midori stood next to Youko with her arm around her waist and her free hand holding a small fan on the both of them. It tried but it's effort was in vain, it was simply too hot for the small device to be effective.

Youko grabbed her hand and held the small fan closer to her face, too hot to notice the looks they were getting. Midori noticed and had her guard up, she knew nothing was going to happen but she had been a cop so long that it was a habit. She could understand, they were a same-sex couple, foreigners speaking a different language and they had their daughter with them, a combination that was sure to set people on edge. In front of them Nina leaned against a fence watching the horses as they returned down the trail that wound around several acres. She was singing to herself and it made Midori smile to see her daughter, and she was her daughter no matter her paternity, so happy. It was something they could all use.

The riders dismounted and a lady approached the gathered to call the next group. "Sugi...sugi...u..."

"Sugiura? That's us." Youko spoke better English than either of them but it didn't stop Midori from chuckling at her accent which was thick. She jerked slightly when Youko pinched her side and twisted, whispering "It's not funny" in her ear as they walked with Nina up to the horse.

"Now have you ever..." The guide started to ask Nina but then stopped. "Does she speak English?"

"I do." Nina responded.

"Great, then this will be a lot easier." She set to explaining the basics of riding the horse to Nina who was anxious to hear and hung on her every word. Afterwards she helped Nina mount and took the reigns, starting the horse at a slow walk to let Nina get accustomed to the feel of the saddle. Nina's smile threatened to leave her face, Youko smiled for her daughter.

"And you, miss? Have you ever ridden a horse?"

The male guide approached Youko and Midori, catching Youko off guard. "No, why?"

The man held the reigns of a brown and white horse and was looking at her with a perplexed look. Midori took Youko by the shoulders and smiled. "I signed us up for a ride."

"You what?" Youko looked from Midori to the horse then back to Midori. "I'm not getting on that thing."

Midori addressed the guide in her broken English. "I've ridden before, I will ride with her."

"Okay, then here you go." The guide pointed in the direction that Nina had just gone. "Just follow the trail, there's a great view if you head a couple hundred yards that way, you should stop and take a look. A lot of the tourists do."

The man handed the reigns to Midori then walked away, most likely to grab another horse for the next customer. Youko eyed the beast warily then gave her girlfriend a pleading look. "I don't want to."

"It'll be fun, trust me." Midori took Youko's hand and moved it towards the horse's head. "Go on, pet her."

"It's a her?"

Midori chuckled, "Yes, now will you pet her already?" Youko reluctantly touched the horse's nose, earning a snort that made her withdraw her hand. Midori put an arm around her waist and helped her mount the horse then climbed up after her. Youko was fidgeting trying to find a comfortable spot, she calmed when she felt arms wrap around her waist and take the reigns. Midori squeezed with her heels and the horse started foward startling Youko who suppressed a yelp. Once the horse got going, though, she settled back into Midori's arms and closed her eyes. "See, didn't I tell you this would be fun."

The trail was very linear and Midori had no trouble keeping the horse in line. Youko was astounded, she thought by now that she knew everything about her lover but she never knew that she could ride horses. "I didn't know you could ride."

"My dad taught me when I was younger. He was an older man by then and he stuck to the old ways, riding horses, reading books, eating only what you can grow or kill. He taught me how to do a lot of things for myself, how to bring down a buck from a hundred yards, how to tend the fields, how to ride a horse. He wanted to be sure I would grow up strong."

"I wish I could have met him."

"He would have liked you." Midori smiled and gripped tighter on the reigns, her father passing had been one of the most trying times in her life. Afterwards she had felt completely useless and alone until she had met a certain brunette who showed her that life and love will always find a way. "He would have said," she cleared her throat and did her best impression of her father, "that Youko is good for you, Midori. She helps keep your head on straight. You're too hot headed for own good."

Youko laughed at her impression and Midori smiled and held her tighter. The horse continued on for a time in silence until they came towards the top of a hill. Midori steered up a dirt path that ended on the crest of the hill where a fence had been set up and a tie post for the horse. Midori tied the reigns to the post and joined Youko who was standing at the fence looking out over the vast empty landscape before them. Youko was awed by the open fields dotted with trees, the clear blue skies overhead with the sun shining brightly down on them and inhaled when a breeze kicked up and set the tall grass waving in a manner that took her breath away. Suddenly the heat and the horse ride were worth it just to be standing in this place with Midori. "It's beautiful."

"I have another surprise for you."

Youko turned to find Midori on one knee holding a velvet box to her in one hand. Her eyes watered and she put a hand to her mouth to stop herself from crying out, she hadn't expected it and, for the second time in as many minutes, her breath was taken away again. "When we first got together I didn't know how long this was going to last. As far as I knew you were a straight woman who was coming out of a bad relationship and you'd leave me at the first man who laid eyes on you. I was wrong. Now it's been ten years and sometimes I can't even believe it. Sometimes I wonder why you stay with me."

Youko started to say something but Midori stopped her. "You mean everything to me, Youko. You're the reason I get up in the morning, the reason I come back home at night, the reason I'm still sane after all the shit I've seen. You make me a better woman, and now I need to ask one more thing of you. Will you make me the happiest woman in the world and marry me?"

Youko didn't respond at first, she was so overcome that her voice failed her and all that came out was a squeek of excitement. When she finally reclaimed her voice she responded with a simple, "Yes, a thousand times yes".

Midori slipped the engagement ring, a ring that she wasn't ready admit cost her more than she made in a month, onto Youko's finger and stood up with an elated smile on her face. She took her fiancé into her arms and kissed her deeply, neither of them noticed the horse walking up behind them. Nina dismounted her horse, with some help from it's handler, and approached her mothers. Youko noticed her walking up and smiled to her. "Did I miss it? I tried to get back here sooner."

Youko looked incredulously at Midori. "You planned this whole thing?"

"Of course I did. Were you surprised?" Youko's nod indicated that she had been and her lack of words indicated that she was still in shock over it. "I'm glad, it took a lot of persuading to keep this one from talking." She ruffled Nina's hair as she spoke.

"It was worth it though."

"It was." Midori hugged Youko close who laid her head on Midori's shoulder. "I love you."

Youko closed her eyes and relished the moment, though it would be a moment she would never forget. "I love you too, Mido-chan."

They stood together for long minutes, Nina smiled to see her mother so happy. She had been trepidatious about returning to her mother and had felt more than a little awkward having met Midori and realizing what their relationship was but all of that had faded as she got to know them and to see them now made her want to weep. She was happy for her mothers who were celebrating their love. Midori and Youko shared a tender look before Youko went to embrace Nina. "I came here to find my mom and ended up finding two. I'm happy for you."

Midori helped Youko remount their horse while Nina easily mounted her mare, a feat that surprised Midori and filled her with pride. She had trouble keeping her horse straight but their guide took the reigns and helped her with it. Midori trotted their horse until they walked side-by-side. "You seem to be getting the hang of that."

"It's fun. I've always wanted to ride a horse, ever since I was little. I used to watch old westerns with my foster dad and I always wondered what it would feel like. Now if I just had an old pistol then I'd feel like a badass."

"Well, if you want to learn how to shoot I can teach you. Not to brag but I was the best shot in my graduating class."

Youko, who was busy looking in wonder at the ring on her right hand, responded. "She's way too young for that."

"I was younger than she is when my dad taught me. Besides she's a teenager, she needs to know how to defend herself. If she knows how to use a gun she's less likely to hurt herself if she ever has to. I just want our daughter to be safe."

Youko smiled and acquiesced. "You're probably right, I'm just happy you think of her as our daughter."

"Of course, we're a family now, right?"

Youko returned to admiring the ring on her finger and Nina kept her attention on riding while Midori was thinking how much she was looking forward to spending time with her daughter and her fiancé, her family.

-WWW-

Yukino woke up in a bed in a white room that she didn't recognize, her thoughts fuzzy and a deep soreness in her body. She felt like she had gotten in a fight, which she had. She tried to move her arms but found them bound to the table, her legs receiving the same treatment. She tilted her head to the side to catch a glimpse of her surroundings and possibly a clue to her whereabouts. She didn't find anything that wouldn't be found in a hospital room.

Knowing that she could't move she laid her head back until she heard the door to the room open when she turned her head to see Reito walking in holding a cup of coffee. "Good morning, mother. How did you sleep?"

"Well, I guess." She scanned her memory of how she had gotten to this bed but found it empty. That combined with the soreness in her body gave her an idea of what had happened. "I feel like I've been in a fight."

"You were."

Reito confirmed Yukino's suspicions, she had transformed and had probably hurt a lot of people afterwards. "Was anyone hurt?"

"You." The simplicity of the statement struck Yukino as did the implication that something was able to stop her werewolf form. "You fought Kuga Natsuki, do you remember her?"

She remembered her, the woman whom Reito had tried to study, the woman whom she had taken to find out why. How had the woman withstood her werewolf form? Unless... "She was a werewolf. You were trying to revive your father's research."

Reito seemed unfazed at her discovery. "I was, but that's over now." Reito look a long sip of his coffee, which made Yukino thirsty, then continued. "So why didn't you tell me you were a werwolf?"

"Your father swore me to secrecy." Yukino laid her head back and stared up at the plain ceiling. "After his treatment left me with this curse he buried his research and swore me to secrecy, agreeing all too quickly when I demanded he marry me." Yukino turned her head to look back at Reito. "You can't use his method, you can't make more monsters."

Reito chuckled and released the bindings on her hands, letting her sit up, then handed her his cup of coffee. "You sound like that Kuga woman, she said the same thing."

_Kuga? Where have I seen that name before?_ Yukino remembered back to the day she was injected, to the name on one of the vials. Kuga, R. "That can't be a coincidence." She thought aloud, catching the ear of Reito. She waved him off and took a sip of the coffee, savoring it. "So, what are you going to do about her and about Grear?"

"Miyu," Reito shrugged, "I'll find her a place in the company and help her with her daughter. Kuga, I think I have a way of getting a hold of her. I'll just contact her and tell her that we won't bother her anymore."

Yukino nodded, Reito was acting shrewdly. It was a trait that she had never seen in him. "And about my secret? Will she keep it?"

"I think she will. Seeing as she's carried the same burden for years now I think she'll be more receptive."

Yukino accepted it. "And what about me?"

"I think you're about to retire."

Yukino laughed, not at Reito but at the situation. She had never pictured it going like this and she found herself more amused than angry at her step son. "Now that you mention it, I have been feeling a bit rundown lately. Maybe I could use a vacation."

"A long one, I think." Reito smirked as he stood and turned away from the bed. "Try to enjoy yourself, mother."

He walked away and Yukino lay back on the bed, and for once her thoughts didn't turn to the company or to her dead husband. Instead they turned to relaxation, something she hadn't felt in years. _Maybe I'll move out to Fuuka, tell them all to go to hell._ She laughed inwardly at the thought, she wouldn't last a minute in a small town, especially that one.

-WWW

Miyu slunk back to the hospital and walked through the front doors with embarrassment. She felt that every face was mocking her, every smile and kind gesture for Alyssa was another nail in the coffin. Doctors, nurses and even some of the patients that knew her and her daughter tried to offer their congratulations but she didn't hear any of them, only the sound of her own shame beat into her ears. She didn't want to face her daughter now, to have to tell her that her mother failed her.

She waited by the door to her room, gathering her courage before opening it and walking in. A doctor stood near her bed, a doctor she had never seen before, and he turned to her with a smile on his face. "You must be Ms. Grear, Alyssa has been telling me all about you."

As she neared the bed Alyssa came into focus and she nearly wept on the spot. Alyssa looked healthier than Miyu remembered seeing her, her skin had returned to it's healthy color, her blue eyes were no longer pale and listless but strong and vibrant in color and her hair had returned to it's golden color and was starting to grow back thick like it used to be. "Mom." Alyssa waved to her mother from the bed and Miyu hurried over to her, wrapping her in a tight embrace.

The doctor smiled at the sight. "Alyssa's cancer has gone into remission and we're hoping it's for good this time." The doctor crossed his fingers to emphasize the point. "It looks like our latest combination of treatments did the trick."

The doctor kept talking but Miyu had stopped listening by then, all she could hear was her daughter, healthier than she had seen her in a long time. She ran her hand through her growing hair, grown thick in the mere week that she had been gone, she picked Alyssa up from the bed and was joyous she she laughed not groaned in pain. Her heart soared to see her daughter so happy again. She set her back down and turned to the young man in the room, throwing her arms around him and pulling him into a hug that reddened his cheeks. "I can't thank you enough, doctor. You don't know what this means to me."

"I can see it means a lot, but you don't have to thank me. You should thank Mr. Kanzaki, he's the one who prescribed the system of treatments that finally worked."

Mr. Kanzaki, as it turns out, was just down the hall and happened to walk in just as he said this. "After that mess in Fuuka it was the least I could do." He dismissed the young doctor leaving only him, Miyu and Alyssa in the room. He walked over to Alyssa and placed his hand on her forehead. "How are you feeling today, Miss Alyssa?"

"Better."

Alyssa's reply was uplifting to Miyu who questioned Reito about his methods. "What did you do? This isn't some kind of experiment is it?"

Reito smirked at her. "As it turns out when my head isn't full of ghosts and goblins I'm actually a pretty good doctor. Plus I owed you for the Kuga job." Reito stood and faced Miyu, a look of regret on his face. "I'm sorry for his that turned out."

Miyu shook her head. "It's not your fault, I went too far. I was willing to do anything for Alyssa and I let it get the best of me."

"I guess we're both at fault." Reito looked away. "What are you going to do now?"

Miyu hadn't given the subject much thought. "I'm not sure. We'll go back to America, I guess. I can find a job doing something."

"Why don't you stay and work for me. The new Chairman of the Board could use a secretary he can trust, and with all you've done for me I know I can trust you. Plus you'll be nearby if Alyssa's condition ever returns."

Miyu didn't have to think hard about that choice, it was the best she could hope for. "Since I don't have anything better to do, I humbly accept."

"Excellent. Now your first order of business is to get a hold of Kuga Natsuki. I want to apologize to her on behalf of the company."

Miyu laughed, it had all started with this woman and now it was going to end with her. "Yes, sir."

-WWW-

Natsuki woke up in her bed in her house and wondered just how she had gotten there. She tried to remember the events leading up to it but they stopped after her meeting with the strange brunette woman, the woman who had drugged her with a hidden needle. All she remembered after that was the dream and the dream left a familiar name on her lips. "Shizuru."

"Yes, baby?"

She noticed the woman sitting on a chair beside her bed with an almost bored expression, as if she had been waiting for her to wake up. Natsuki sat up and rubbed her temples, her whole body felt sore and she stretched her aching muscles. When she finally addressed her girlfriend it was with questions. "What happened?"

"I wasn't there but Nao told me that you got into a fight with another werewolf. Some brown haired woman. I was hoping you would know more than that."

"That must have been that woman who drugged me. She was a werewolf? Impossible."

"That's what Nao said. You can ask her if you want, she's in the living room. She helped me get you in the car after we found you at your parent's ranch."

"The ranch?" Natsuki had no memory of being there recently, in fact she hadn't had cause to got there in a few months. "What was I doing out at the ranch?"

"It's where you always transformed so I thought it would be familiar to you. We always want to be surrounded by familiar things. Like me..." Shizuru slid into the bed and wrapped her arms around her girlfriend, "I like to be around you."

Natsuki kissed Shizuru and felt more at ease, it didn't matter how she had gotten here just that she was here with her. "This has been some of the craziest time of my life. What's going to happen next?" Her hand grazed Shizuru's thigh and stopped at the cast she stilll wore on her leg. "How does your leg feel?"

"It still hurts, but it's not bad."

Shizuru rested her head comfortably on Natsuki's shoulder, their hands intertwined and she let out a long sigh. Natsuki held her close. "I'm sorry to make you worry."

"I wasn't worried, I knew that you would be alright."

They lay together comfortably for a time, before the door to the bedroom opened and Nao walked in. "Ugh, get a room you two."

"We are in our room, asshole." Natsuki smirked at Nao who merely laughed and sat down next to the bed. Natsuki noticed that Shizuru's breathing evened out and her eyes closed indicating that she had fallen asleep. "So, what happened out there? Tell me everything."

Nao related to Natsuki what had happened the previous afternoon; her witnessing of the kidnapping, the high speed chase that led to the crash of the white van, Yukino's transformation and wounding of Deacon, Natsuki's timely save and their titanic battle that ended with Yukino battered and broken on the ground. She related her and Shizuru's drive out to the old ranch where they found her lying in the center of the destroyed living room and embellished how difficult it was to carry her into her house and get her into her bed. "You should lose some weight, woman. Married life hasn't been good for you."

"I'm not married, Nao."

"Same thing." Nao got a distant look in her eyes and related to Natsuki something that she had felt the day before. "I'm jealous of you."  
"Of me? Why?"

"Because of her. After you ran off I went to tell her what happened and she seemed worried and I thought it must be nice to have someone worried about you, who cares about you. You two seem so happy and perfect together and I don't know if I'll ever find that." Her philosophical moment over, Nao returned to her typical, snarky self. "I guess that makes you the heavyweight champion of werewolves, eh?"

Natsuki laughed, trying not to wake Shizuru laying beside her. "That fight must have been epic. I wish I remembered it."

"I didn't see it but I saw the aftermath, it was bloody. Footage of that would have made the evening news."  
"I'll bet."

Nao bit her lip. "Thanks. You may not have realized it and you may not remember it but you saved our lives. I won't ever forget that."

"What are friends for?"

Shizuru's cellphone rang and woke her up. She looked around bleary eyed and found her phone, answering it with a barely coherent "Hello". She listened for a moment before handing the phone to Natsuki with an odd look on her face. "It's for you."

"Who is it?" Shizuru shrugged then lay back down, closing her eyes and falling back to sleep immediately. Natsuki was jealous, sleep was always a difficult thing for her and seeing Shizuru fall back into it so easily made her envious. "This is Natsuki."

A familiar voice came over the speaker, a voice she recognized as the man she was speaking to before the incident. "Ms. Kuga this is Kanzaki Reito. Do you remember me?"

Her voice was more a growl than words when she responded and Nao's eyes narrowed. "I remember you. What do you want?"

Reito heard the drop in her voice and backed down immediately. "I'm not calling to start a fight, Ms. Kuga. I'm calling to apologize for my mother's actions. I had no idea she planned to kidnap you and would have stopped her if I did. As for the Miyu Grear incident, I apologize for that as well."

"Your apologies mean nothing." Natsuki was angry now and she wasn't about to let up on the man who had possibly orchestrated all of it. "Keep them, and stay the hell away from me."

"Believe me, I intend to do just that. It would also be appreciated if you would not mention the incident to any concerned parties, that would be mutually beneficial." Reito seemed genuine though Natsuki wasn't ready to trust the shifty snake. "The company would like to offer you some recompense, to make up for your pain and suffering. I'm prepared to make a generous offer."

"There is one thing you can do for me. Your lawyer mentioned to my mother that he could get her out of prison. Make it happen."

"Done. It was a pleasure doing business with you, Ms. Kuga."

"Right."

Natsuki hung up the phone and set it on her nightstand. Nao gave her an inquisitive look but backed off when Natsuki refused to answer. "Is this over with, then?"

"Hopefully."

Nao stood up and walked over to the door. "Then I'll leave you two lovebirds alone then. You should come out to the bar sometime, I'm sure Deacon would love to thank you personally for saving his life."

Nao left the room and Natsuki settled back into the bed, cuddling next to Shizuru who entwined herself with her. She planted a soft kiss on her lips and closed her eyes, hoping that Reito was as good as his word and that this drama in her life was finally at an end.


End file.
